Soul Eater: The Next Step
by RertyanTheDark
Summary: Follows on from the Anime, some hints at the later Manga chapters  around the 60 mark . Can the Meisters and weapons stop the world from falling into chaos? Full brief and details inside. T for safety due to language, name and rating may change.
1. The New Specialist Team

_**Spoilers:** after the Anime and sort of from Manga chapter 62/3. You have been warnied._

_**Warning(s): **Possible swearing, mild/medium gore level potential, fluff._

_**Pairing(s): **SoMa, possibly some TsuStar and/or KidxLizxPatty_

_**Brief: **With the Kishin defeated, what new threats will rise up to face the heroes from Shibusen? Will Kid's words of warning when the Kishin was killed come true sooner than they thought? And can the Madness be eliminated completely before it consumes the world?_

_**Disclaimer: **Atsushi Okubo owns Soul Eater, not me._

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: **Ok, this is a little new to me. Bleach fans will be aware that my only link with Soul Eater thus far is in the form of a crossover, otherwise it has been near-completely about Bleach for me._

_Anyway, since a story on my Bleach side of affairs is going, for lack of a better term, terribly, I've decided to take a new turn and go to Soul Eater as a separate story. Hopefully my work will go down as well here as it has done elsewhere (here's hoping)._

_Anyway, without further adieu, let's begin this story!_

* * *

><p><strong>Soul Eater: The Next Step<strong>

**Chapter One: The New Specialist Team**

The blast of light cleared from his view, allowing the white-haired weapon to see his Meister stood overhead where Asura had been moments before, a cluster of blue souls drifting freely through the air as they made their way out of the Kishin and into the now clearing sky.

"You did it," he said, a smile spreading over his lips as he gazed upon her from where he sat. "You really are amazing."

Over to his right were Black Star and Patty, both of whom were proclaiming it to be the end of bad weather as if it were the true source of the Madness which Asura had utilised so readily. Kid, Liz and Tsubaki walked over to the seated weapon.

"Are you okay, Soul?" the Meister of the group asked, receiving his acknowledgement in the form of a small nod.

"We have fixed this problem," Tsubaki said somewhat happily.

"But we still have a lot of trouble ahead," Liz sighed, hands behind her head.

"Death City and Shibusen both need rebuilding," the Demon Shadow Weapon agreed.

"Well," Liz replied with another sigh. "Let's be happy that the Kishin is gone."

"We can't be that happy," Kid said solemnly. "As long as there are people in this world, negative feelings won't disappear. This time was fine because of Maka, but another Kishin will rise up in the future."

The Demon Scythe knew he was right, and could not help but notice the ominous tone; it was as if he were predicting it, not stating a warning.

"It's ok," Maka replied from her place above them in the cloud of souls which was now clearing. "We'll be ready for it. Besides, negative feelings are not the only ones inside people." She closed her fist tightly around the postcard in her hand, uttering the single word written on it. "Courage... Everyone has courage... in here." She tapped her modest chest on the left side, indicating her heart.

Soul smiled up at her; even after all they had been through, his Meister's courage and want to protect her friends shone through clearly. She cracked a smile and leapt off of the platform she was on.

"Maka!" Soul yelled, running into the path of his descending Meister and ending up flat on his back with her atop him. "Baka! What were you thinking?"

Maka just giggled and grinned up at him. Looking at the joy on her face, Soul felt his heart melt and his face reflect her jovial attitude. He pushed her off of him lightly and stood before helping the green-eyed girl up.

"Come on, guys," Soul announced. "Let's get back to Shibusen before they start worrying about us."

The group walked away from the wreckage and headed for Death City, which was stood metres from the battlefield, a look of elation on all seven of their faces, despite Kid's warning.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Three Months Later<strong>_

* * *

><p><em><strong>London, England<strong>_

The creature ran through the dark, cold cobblestone streets, pounding across the uneven surface quickly and without staggering. It closed the distance between itself and its prey, a single strike enough to crush their head into the ground at full force, leaving a bloody husk with a single blue soul floating over it. The creature licked its misshapen, black lips behind its mask and swallowed the soul in one great bite, the new energy coursing through its veins. The once human beast sprang upwards on its partially mechanical legs, landing with its heavy left hand against the rooftop, giving it the look of a gorilla.

A sudden change in the air alerted it to the presence of an albino with sharp teeth grinning, his hands shoved into his jacket pockets.

"You know," Soul said both loudly and clearly. "You really shouldn't have done that. Now you've made yourself look very guilty."

"What's that?" the beast growled. "What are you talking about, pip-squeak?"

"Tell me," said a more feminine voice from behind the weapon. "Are you or are you not Spring-Heeled Jack?"

"Aye, the very same," the creature replied, eyeing Maka's soul and licking its disfigured chops. "Tell me, lass, why is it you're looking for the scourge of London?"

"You have strayed from the path and now your soul has become a dark remnant of what once was," she replied, raising her right hand as Soul's body was imbued in an aura of bright blue. "We're here to collect your soul!"

She gripped the newly formed scythe handle tightly in her gloved hands and allowed the dark soul to lunge at her, striking at his fist and deflecting it as it came down on them. Jack growled in rage and leapt high, the jump cracking the roof beneath his feet and sending a weak shockwave which barely impacted the duo. As their target came downwards, the momentum of his attack deadly, Soul and Maka timed a Soul Resonance and took to the air too, using the Witch Hunter to pierce the heavy fist and cut it off completely. Roaring in abject pain and anguish, Jack rolled off of the damaged roof and leapt through the air until a searing pain caught him in the right shin. The brace which housed the piston and allowed the man to move so rapidly had been shattered and the leg deeply cut. Unable to jump again or use the braces as a suspension to save his bones, the creature hurtling to the street floor, shattering his legs in three separate places. A quick swing of the red and black curved blade ended his miserable life and the pain he was in. Soul grinned as he gripped the red soul between his thumb and forefinger, looking over at Maka.

"Here we go again," he said, remembering when he had swallowed Blair's cat soul and had the last ninety-nine souls confiscated. "Soul number ninety-nine collected." He swallowed it in one mouthful.

"Job complete," Maka confirmed, walking towards the nearest window and breathing on it so that she could write the combination '42-42-564'. The pane of glass rippled briefly before lighting up. "Hello, Lord Death? This is Maka Albarn and Soul Eater."

"Oh, hello, Maka, Soul!" came the cheery voice of the Grim Reaper himself. "How goes you assignment?"

"Spring-Heeled Jack has been defeated, and that is our ninety-ninth soul," Maka acknowledged. "We just have to locate and kill a witch to complete Soul's transformation."

"Now that is good news! However," Soul and Maka stopped smiling, a look of confusion on their faces as they heard the next sentence. "I would like you to report back to Shibusen immediately."

"Problem, sir?" Soul asked.

"No, nothing of the sort, Soul," the masked man waved his cartoonish hands before the screen. "Stein-sensei has an important announcement, that's all. Everyone involved is being called back to Shibusen for briefing about a special assignment."

"Assignment?" Maka questioned, confused further.

"That's right. All will be made clear when you arrive, got it?"

"Yes, Lord Death, sir," she bowed while Soul merely waved and turned to where his bike was parked. "I wonder what this assignment is?"

"The sooner we get to Shibusen, the sooner we can find out," Soul replied, revving the engine once both he and his Meister were aboard the cycle. "It'll take a few hours to get to Death City, you should get some sleep, Maka."

"I'm-" She stifled a yawn. "I'm not tired, Soul."

"Suit yourself, Tiny-Tits," he shook his head dismissively, pulling away.

"MAKA CHOP!" Down came a rather thick, heavy book, the spine of which was coated in dried and fresh blood.

"Ow! Fuck, Maka! Not while I'm driving!" Soul protested, using one hand to keep control of the bike while the other nursed the fresh rectangular wound in his skull.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Ogijima Island, Japan<strong>_

The blue-haired boy crouched in the darkness, his breath silent as he oversaw the gathering of Yakuza and Triad members. From the vantage point above them, both he and his partner could see the foul work the collection of beings were up to. Since the incident three months prior, Black Star had become more in tune with the Enchanted Sword, as well as becoming more able to control his needs as a 'big star' on missions, which had enabled he and Tsubaki to catch up to their scythe-duo friends in the same time span.

"Tsubaki, are you ready?" Black Star asked silently.

"When you are," his weapon confirmed.

"In that case, smoke bomb mode." Black Star threw the grey sphere into the tabletop around which the evil souls were gathered, producing a pitch black smoke around it and hiding his presence until he called upon the Enchanted Sword.

With the smoke clear, the mobsters were revealed with their blades drawn, ready to attack if the need arose. No sooner had this been done did Black Star vanish from sight, the sword in his hand protruding from the chest of the head of the Yakuza. As he fell, the others advanced, crossing blades with the assassin only to be cut down or punched away under his soul wavelength. The sheer skill difference alone guaranteed success, but his cool, calculated approach and use of his wavelength meant his victory was much quicker. With the battle finished, Tsubaki absorbed the souls, feeling her own soul count reach ninety-nine as the final one was consumed.

"Black Star, we should go back to Shibusen," she said. "Their followers will be here soon, and I cannot hold any more souls without first consuming a witch's soul."

"Gotcha, Tsubaki," the blue-haired boy nodded, making his way back out without blowing his cover. They escaped to the boat a few metres from the building and started on their way back to America.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Agra, India<strong>_

The creature ran quickly, limping all the way for its left leg had been shot through. Its attacker laid eyes upon the beast and fired through the right leg in precisely the same place with pin-point precision and accuracy. He smirked slightly as the Kishin fell down a short distance from where it had been shot, the twin-pistol wielding Meister touching down on his hovering skateboard.

"Any last words?" he asked plainly, but receiving no response. "It's a good way to die, seeing such a symmetry before you go." Kid chided, shooting the creature with two simultaneous blasts through the head, collecting the single soul in the right pistols magazine. "Ah, superb. The Taj Mahal..."

"Hey, Kid!" a mechanical voice called from his left hand. "I know you like being one with the symmetry and all, but my back is getting sore!"

Kid sighed as he allowed the Thompsons to return to their human states.

"Can't we just enjoy the view for a while, girls?" he pleaded, though they were content being out of their weaponised states. The sun was slowly setting behind the Indian monument, casting a rich orange glow upon them as they stared out at the beautiful sight. After a few minutes, Kid sighed contentedly and stood. "Alright, I suppose I should tell father that the Cult of Shiva has been dealt with."

"Don't forget to ask where we can find a couple of witches," Liz added, turning to her close friend and Meister. "After all, both me and Patty are ready for them."

Kid flexed his hands into a series of gestures, conjuring a purple outline of Lord Death's insignia on the ground. The image of Kid's father popped up quickly to greet them.

"Hello again, Kid!" Death greeted his son in his usual overly-cheery tone. "How was it?"

"Pretty straight forward," Kid shrugged. "The Cult of Shiva wasn't that big a deal. I must admit though, I'm glad I was able to see such a magnificent sight as this; the Taj Mahal... such beautiful symmetry."

"Excellent. I take it you are wanting another high-level target?"

"Actually, I am in need of two witch souls," Kid corrected. "We've collected out one hundred and ninety eighth Kishin soul."

"In that case, congratulations to the three of you," Death clapped his large hands enthusiastically before becoming serious once more. "At any rate, I would like you to return to Shibusen first; Stein has a special task for your team, Kid."

"I understand, father," Kid nodded as the transmission ended. "Liz, Patty, we're going back to Shibusen. Transform back to your weapon modes."

"Oh great," Liz sighed. "Another trip halfway around the world in pistol form..."

* * *

><p><em><strong>Death Room<strong>_

"Wonder what this assignment is," the red-eyed scythe mused as he and his Meister enter the Death Room, his arms crossed behind his head in a display of nonchalance.

"Yeah," Maka nodded, risking a glance at her weapon partner and smiling slightly. They had been through a lot together, but she still trusted him as he trusted her.

The screams of their friend at the plateau on which a mirror stood caught their attention, and they quickly ran up to see what was wrong.

"God dammit, Black Star!" Kid whined profusely. "Why won't you let me make you symmetrical?"

"Pah!" the assassin scoffed, arms folded in an arrogant display. "You don't have to make me symmetrical, Kid, I'm already a big star!"

"Damn you!"

"Now now, children," the light-hearted voice of Shibusen's greatest Meister came from behind Maka and Soul as Franken Stein walked in, the smoking butt of a cigarette between his lips as he walked over with Marie at his side. "There's no need to fight."

"Stein-sensei," Maka asked as both Lord Death and Spirit walked in. "What is this all about?"

"This is something we have been developing for the last three months, Maka," Stein replied, dousing the butt underfoot. "Lord Death, would you like to explain?"

"Sure," the masked man nodded, standing beside Stein. "As you three know, the Kishin Asura has been defeated, thanks to your work all that time ago." All eyes fell on Maka, who blushed at this sudden attention. "Well, we have noticed a significant reduction in the level of Madness in the world, so I felt it was only right to thank you for your work!"

"Father, we were just doing our duty as Shibusen students," Kid amended. "You know that."

"Yes, but it was an excellent feat nonetheless," Lord Death nodded. "But the real reason behind this meeting is not quite as good. You see, the Kishin's powerful wavelength was blocking our ability to detect any other Madness wavelengths. With it gone, we can now see that the wavelength did not travel very far at all."

"That can't be," Soul protested. "The whole world was on the verge of falling into Madness, and you say it wasn't the Kishin behind it all?"

"Soul," Maka started, but the principal raised his hand to cut her off.

"I understand your outrage, Soul Eater," he went on. "The fact is that there were a series of transponders which worked like a signal booster to increase the radius affected by the Kishin's Wavelength of Madness. It appears that some of them were not Arachnophobia's doing; there were many pylons which did the job, but some were found to be damaged prior to the spread of Madness, meaning that something, or someone, took their place. That is the reason for this 'assignment'. Stein?"

"Thank you, Lord Death," the screw-headed man nodded and turned to the Meisters and weapons gathered there. "We are actually starting a specialist group of Meisters and weapons who will be used to search for and capture or destroy the person or persons responsible for this work, which we have called the Specialist Armed and Tactical Operations Initiative, or Spartoi for short. From now on, you will all be granted the status of three-star Meister and have permission to leave lessons at will to search for anything which might help you find these people.

"Also," he added, with a small smile. "We purposely waited for your weapon partners to collect ninety-nine Kishin souls. Since the Baba Yaga's Castle incident, we have been gathering the souls of witches in surplus for certain students to have access to when they reach the right level." Stein grinned as he watched at the seven faces light up in a mixture of awe and confusion.

"We are officially making all Spartoi weapons Death-Scythes."

* * *

><p><em>So, how did I do? Did you like it?<em>

_Feedback is appreciated, and feel free to look at my Bleach works if you want a better idea of how I work._

_Anyway, I hope you liked it so far._

_Oh, by the way, I hate the title myself, so any suggestions about what to call it would be appreciated and welcomed greatly!_


	2. Return to Shibusen

_**Spoilers:**__ after the Anime and sort of from Manga chapter 62/3. You have been warnied._

_**Warning(s): **__Possible swearing, mild/medium gore level potential, fluff._

_**Pairing(s): **__SoMa, possibly some TsuStar and/or KidxLizxPatty_

_**Brief: **__With the Kishin defeated, what new threats will rise up to face the heroes from Shibusen? Will Kid's words of warning when the Kishin was killed come true sooner than they thought? And can the Madness be eliminated completely before it consumes the world?_

_**Disclaimer: **__Atsushi Okubo owns Soul Eater, not me._

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Two: Return to Shibusen; The Secret is out!<strong>

"Are you serious, professor?" Maka asked in awe. Stein smiled, amused by the hopeful look in her eyes.

"Yes, Maka, I am," he nodded. "You have finally succeeded in your goal of making Soul into a Deathscythe."

"YAHOO!" Black Star yipped, punching the air. "With you as a Deathscythe, we'll be unbeatable, Tsubaki!" His partner merely smiled timidly, giggling at the enthusiasm of this news.

"I trust that you are all ready to receive your final souls, yes?" Stein asked. The four Weapons nodded resolutely. "Very well. Spirit, Marie, the cases."

Both Deathscythes nodded and went to a large black safe with an effigy of Lord Death's mask on the front. Both of them took out a gold key attached to a chain around their necks and inserted them into the eye-holes of the mask. They turned in opposing directions simultaneously before Spirit then gripped the middle tooth and pulled it in a levering direction upwards. The locks slid back into the door, allowing it to swing open, revealing a number of silver metal cases within the metal exterior. Each Weapon took out a case on the top of the stack, then shut the door and moved over to the desk which had been set beside the safe. The younger Weapons were ushered over, Liz and Patty to Marie while Soul and Tsubaki went to Stein.

"It took us quite a while to find these," Marie said with a smile, stepping aside to show two pink souls in the case. Both had a trio of spikes on the top in a symmetrical arrangement. "We figured that Kid would prefer you two to have souls as close to one another as possible, so we had to find and claim the souls of twin witches Dakura and Ryu. You've earned these, girls!"

Liz and Patty smiled at one another, then to Kid, before accepting the souls through willing them into their hands, a method they had learnt to use to avoid having to be in weapon form to collect souls. A pink light coursed over them for a moment or two, subsiding as quickly as it had appeared, then they returned to Kid's side.

"Tsubaki," Spirit said, taking out an orange soul with a pair of yellow wings sticking out of it. "This is the soul of the witch Tsunada. She was a tricky one, but I think you will do well with it."

The tall Weapon bowed respectfully and took the soul, taking it in as the Thompsons had, an orange glow running over her briefly before she returned to a now very noisy Black Star to calm him down. Spirit turned to Soul.

"We managed to recover this from the epicentre of the blast when the Kishin was destroyed," he told the albino Weapon. "It's Arachne's soul, so I'm sure you can appreciate the power of it." He gave the last soul, which was light purple and had eight legs hanging limp out of the back, to the red-eyed male. "And I swear, Soul Eater, if you dare touch my little girl, I'll-!"

Maka threw a thick book at her father's face, cutting him off in mid-rant. While he pouted and whined about how his daughter despised him, Soul grinned and turned to his frustrated Meister, walking over to her with the Soul in hand.

"Looks like we did it, Maka," he said. She smiled back at him.

"I did promise to make you a Deathscythe, didn't I?" she replied coyly. Soul chuckled and raised the soul above his head.

"Well then, here goes."

He dropped it into his mouth and swallowed it whole, a sigh of satisfaction escaping his mouth as it always did when he collected a soul. Then, a bright purple light bathed both he and his Meister, the power of the soul coursing into his own and throughout his veins. When it subsided, he grinned, the feeling of power new and foreign to him, but it definitely felt good.

"Well then, are you all ready to return to class?" Lord Death asked. The students nodded. "Excellent! We will let you know if we detect any trace of those beings who aided the spread of Madness! Good to see you again, kids!"

When the seven students were gone, Stein turned to a still snivelling Spirit.

"Oh, please," he said monotonously. "Are you still crying about being rejected by your sixteen year old daughter?"

"No, it's not that, Stein," the red-head sniffed, rubbing his eyes with his sleeve. "I just thought of how much like her mother she is. My little girl's growing up fast, Stein!"

"And you're depressed because you've realised that if you hadn't been cheating on Kami for so long you would have seen her grow up?" the grey-haired Meister questioned, rotating the screw in his head a quarter turn while Spirit teared up again.

"No I am!" he whined, bursting into tears again, much to everyone's annoyance.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Crescent Moon Classroom<strong>_

"Yahoo! The great Black Star has finally graced you all with his magnificence!" the blue-haired assassin yelled, bursting through the door ahead of the more slow-moving group.

"Jeez, can he never be quiet?" Maka fumed, scowling at the door while Tsubaki sighed at her Meister's outburst.

"Not really," she replied. "He's been getting better on missions, though, so there's still hope."

"I am so big, I made my partner into a Deathscythe! Bow down to me, mortals!"

"Great, now he's claiming to be omnipotent again," It was Kid's turn to sigh. "Sometimes I wonder what he would be like if he could sit still and stay silent for five seconds."

"Wouldn't be Black Star, that's for sure," Soul shrugged. The six remaining Meisters and Weapons walked into the classroom, which had numerous students talking animatedly between one another, but no sign of a teacher. Then again, Stein was meant to be there, so it was to be expected by the newly returned Meisters and Weapons.

"Is it true, guys?" Kilik asked, walking over with his Weapons a short way behind. "Did you really get made into Deathscythes?"

"That's right," Kid nodded. "Father obviously has something important planned, else he would not have done something like this." Just then, the sound of wheel clattering against the floor became apparent just before a certain grey-haired professor burst through the doorway, the chair clipping the threshold and sending him sprawling on his back.

"Alright, class," he said from his position, taking a text book from his deep coat pocket, thumbing through the pages as he went on. "I assume Black Star has not destroyed my classroom, so I'd like you to take you seats and turn to page 308, _The Anatomy of a Mountain Goat_. Hopefully we shall have a specimen next week, so we had better brush up on the anatomic build of it."

_Great, another dissection,_ Maka thought.

As the professor went on, scrawling the notes on each part of the animal's body, several paper aeroplanes landed on her desk, one even jabbing her in the head. She glared at the offending items, rubbing her head a little as she retrieved the paper. Glancing at the sheets of white, she realised that they had either 'Soul' or 'Maka' written on the wings. Her interest piqued, she picked up one which had her name on it, which happened to be the one which speared her skull, and opened it out. Inside was the picture of a a boy with blonde hair and brown eyes, beside which was a cut off, showing a sword with a double-edged blade and a bronze guard which encircled the hilt. Attached to this was a letter, asking to be her partner. Annoyed that someone would be impertinent enough to throw a letter requesting to partner with her when she had one already, Maka screwed it into a tight ball and placed it on her desk.

The other letters were of the same gist, and each received either the same fate as the first or were torn to shreds swiftly. It was true that she had made Soul into a Deathscythe, but her number of partner requests had never been so high until Black Star had shouted out the news, and that is what angered the young Meister. She was glad that her promise to Soul had been fulfilled, and that her dreams of being like her mother had also been realised, but she was also disappointed that the only reason that people were now calling upon her skills with partner requests was because she had done what Shibusen had been designed for; making a Deathscythe and destroying those who spread Madness over the globe.

By the time that class was over, the partners were covered in paper. Soul discarded his swiftly into the bin, many still unfolded as he already knew what they were. His locker let loose a landslide of further letters from Meisters, all of which he simply glanced at, sighed and removed from his property.

"Hey, Maka, do you have any Sellotape?" he asked, returning to his Meister's side. She frowned.

"Sure, here," she replied, handing it to him. He proceeded to take the reel and smoothed it over the grills on the locker door. "Why on earth did you do that, Soul?"

"These things are doing my head in, and this is the only way they get them in," Soul replied simply.

"So, you don't want to switch partner now that you're a Deathscythe?" she asked, trying ti sound casual.

"Hell no." He paused briefly. "Why? Do you, Maka?"

"What?" Maka sounded hurt that Soul would consider that. "Of course I don't!"

"Good," her Weapon smiled. "It wouldn't be cool for us to ditch each other without letting the other know. Anyway, let's get home before someone else asks us to partner with them."

Maka nodded and followed her Weapon, who had his fingers laced together and behind his head in a look of contented relaxation. Maka blushed a little at the thought of his arms which the pose brought to her mind, but she forced the thoughts away sharply before they could ingrain themselves onto her brain.

Neither of them noticed the small person stood in the shadows, glaring at Maka intently.

* * *

><p><em><strong>The Next Day<strong>_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Deathscythe Training Grounds<strong>_

Maka looked up at the door before them. It was huge, at least twelve feet high and five wide. She placed her hand on the cold, black metal, which looked almost like glass due to the smooth, shiny finish, gazing up at the towering skull-mask on the front. This was the door to a room that her papa had taken to once in her time; the Deathscythe Training Grounds. The room itself was only for Deathscythes and their Meisters, and was actually a corridor with multiple rooms, including the Deathscythe Room and a very large, subterranean training ground.

Soul pulled his card from the recesses of his pocket and placed it into the slot on top of the skull to the side of the door. The eyes lit up red and the three teeth popped outwards a little. Likewise, the huge one on the door did the same, the locks peeling away from the frame and into their housings. The heavy panel swung inwards, showing a fairly shadowy corridor with a stone stairway leading downwards, which is where the partners went, coming out into the bright light of the training ground. Black Star stood beside Tsubaki, watching as Kid fired his twin pistols. Hearing the rate of fire, Maka could tell something was different to before about the Weapons.

"What's going on?" she asked. Tsubaki turned and smiled lightly.

"Professor Stein wanted each of us to test our abilities as Deathscythes so that he could tailor practice sessions to suit us," she explained. Said Meister and professor walked up to the group, careful not to interrupt their conversation.

"Have any of you tried your new forms or practised since becoming Deathscythes?" the grey-haired man asked, his eyes falling on the blank faces of his students. "I guess not then. Alright, Kid, come over here a second!"

The young Grim Reaper stopped his shooting and nodded, heading over with his pistols in hand. Maka looked at the twin pistols which the Thompsons took on, and noticed a difference instantly. The pistols no longer had the plain look they used to, now bearing a pair of blue eyes, one on either side, at the end of the barrel near the hammers. Also, the standard looking finish of gun-metal seemed to have brightened into a radiant silver. Aside from these, the pistols were noticeably larger in size, the barrel particularly longer than before, and along the edge of them were the words 'Death Eagle .60'.

"'Death Eagle .60'?" Soul questioned, surprised about the choice of name.

"Yes," Kid nodded. "The calibre of my Weapons went up from .38 to .60, and the Soul Revolutions per second from eighty to two hundred. Even I am surprised by the improvements that becoming a Death-rank Meister has."

"Tsubaki, let's show everyone just how much bigger we are now that you're a Deathscythe!" Black Star whooped, his Weapon nodding and transforming obidiently.

Tsubaki no longer took on the Kusarigama form as standard, instead becoming an ornate looking version of the short-bladed ninja sword. The hilt was wrapped in a dark blue cloth all the way around with a short bronze curved end to it, while a bronze guard took the shape of a five-point star on the other end. The blade was much thicker and longer than before, the silver shimmering in the light and revealing the black markings which wound around the Weapon. When Black Star grabbed the grip, the markings appeared on his right forearm, as if showing that he and Tsubaki were one, and a short cloak of shadows knitted itself from the thin air behind him, looking almost like a superhero's cape, though no one said a word. Stein's eyes fell upon Maka and Soul.

"Now you two," he said. The partners nodded, Maka raising her right hand to her partner and Soul gripping it in his own, a blue glow shining brightly over the Deathscythe as he transformed and obscuring everyone's view of them.

When the smoke cleared, the group stared at the new Weapon state Soul had taken. The staff was the same as before, no real change about it, but the blade and attachment had changed greatly. The sickle-like curved blade was still black and red, but the division was straight, not serrated except for three bites of red into the black section, two triangles obvious and a third section where the binding started. Two diagonal prongs latched onto the blade from the extension of the actual binding, which was an oval with six prongs jutting from it; one on either of the thinner apexes and four longer ones on the other side from the blade, arranged so that one was aimed further downward while the other three jutted in the same direction; opposite to the blade. All of this was in gold, except for the inside of the oval, which had a red-irised eye on either side of the Weapon. Maka swung the non-bladed side of the scythe downwards, exerting their wavelengths with explosive force, proving the power of their bond.

"Excellent," Stein nodded. "I believe I have an important training for you, Maka." Maka cocked her head, confused. "You possess the Grigory type soul, so now that you have a Deathscythe, you should be able to manifest your own wings."

Maka's eyes widened.

"Y- You mean..." she stammered, hardly believing her ears. "I can fly?"

* * *

><p><em>Happy belated New Year, everyone!<em>

_Sorry, had to get that out of my system._

_I'm happy with how this story is going thus far, but I hope that it takes off a little more than it already has._

_Anyway, let me know what you want in the future or what you think of it now with a review; it will be very helpful to me if you could!_

_Right now, I need to sleep, so goodnight._


	3. Deathscythe Training

**Spoilers:**_ after the Anime and sort of from Manga chapter 62/3. You have been warnied._

**Warning(s): **_Possible swearing, mild/medium gore level potential, fluff._

**Pairing(s): **_SoMa, possibly some TsuStar and/or KidxLizxPatty_

**Brief: **_With the Kishin defeated, what new threats will rise up to face the heroes from Shibusen? Will Kid's words of warning when the Kishin was killed come true sooner than they thought? And can the Madness be eliminated completely before it consumes the world?_

**Disclaimer: **_Atsushi Okubo owns Soul Eater, not me._

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Three: Deathscythe Training; Resonance of Angels<strong>

Spirit watched from his position at the doorway, hands hanging by the thumbs from his pockets, a small smile on his lips as he saw Maka stood with Soul in her grip, an overjoyed smile on her features. _So Stein told her that she can fly with the right training,_ he thought, walking up to the small group.

"How does that work when Arachne was a spider-type witch?" Soul asked, his voice stronger and with a more distinct metallic ring to it in his Weapon form.

"I didn't expect you to understand, Soul Eater," Spirit announced snidely. Maka turned her head to the red-head while Soul's eye facing Spirit twisted into a scowling glare at the elder Deathscythe.

"Papa?" the Meister questioned, confused by his answer too.

"What the hell did you say, old man?" Soul growled. "Get your ass over here so I can show you how much I understand!"

"That won't take long then," Spirit rolled his eyes, ignoring Soul's further rants. "You see, Maka, it isn't the witch's soul which gives you the ability to fly, but your own soul. Like your mother, you possess a Grigory, or winged-type, soul. When you resonate with a Deathscythe partner, you can use the extra power and precision to focus your soul wavelength into the form of wings. Think of it as a 'angel' form fitting for my darling girl."

"An angel..." Maka ran the idea over in her head a few times, smiling dreamily to herself. "I like the sound of that."

_Angel, huh? _Soul thought, staying quiet. _She already is in my eyes... Wait, what? Where did that come from?_

"Black Star," Stein said, the assassin quiet once more with Tsubaki in control of the hyper-active Meister. "Your soul is not the Grigory type, but it is what is known as the shadow-type, which we have dubbed Kazeshini, or wind of death. This means that you will be able to manipulate the shadows which are attached to you when Tsubaki is in Weapon state, and when they are not being used by the mode you are using, meaning if you can focus on the image of wings for long enough, you should be able to resonate and fly just as Maka can."

"Awesome! The big keep getting bigger!" Black Star yipped, puffing up his chest with pride.

"If your ego gets any bigger, you'll never be any good as an assassin," Soul commented over his friend's loudness. "Besides, I thought you said you were the biggest star around already."

"Doesn't mean I can't get any bigger a star, Soul! Yahoo!"

"If you are quite finished, we should proceed with your training in wavelength manipulation," Stein said, his monotonous voice indifferent as always. "Maka, as you have experience in advanced wavelength manipulation, you and Soul may begin practising at your own speeds. I recommend that you move elsewhere to ensure that Black Star's wavelengths do not interfere with your own while you perfect the technique. Spirit, you go with them, since you have had experience with a Meister using a Grigory soul. Kid, I want you to practice with your resonance and also try to use your other abilities with your Weapons."

Everyone nodded and headed for their various areas to train. Maka walked with Soul in her right hand, the top of the scythe resting over her shoulder. From his vantage point, Soul silently reflected on his Meister while she was distracted and could not detect his thoughts. She was still as stubborn and headstrong as she had always been, but now she seemed more relaxed in her approach to everyday life; gone was the once uncertain, easily confused nature which she had possessed when it came to activities her friends took part in such as basketball, and she was much less concerned with her reputation as a top-level student, though she was still a little concerned about having descent grades and attendance, and her definition of descent was 'in the top ninety percent', but she was definitely changing in attitude, even if only slightly.

But what got him more than that was the way she had changed physically. His words in London came back to him, and he realised how far they were from the truth. Since they had slowed down on training since the Kishin was killed, Maka's figure had filled out to a more feminine shape. If he had to guess, she was about a C-cup, maybe a bit more, and he could tell from the way her clothes, which were the same as she always had worn, hugged her body more tightly than before that her hips and butt had also widened, giving her a more elegant, hourglass effect, although it was discreet. Her well-toned legs were the same, although longer with development, and her shoulders had broadened ever so slightly. Though Soul would not admit it, his Meister was growing into a beautiful young woman in his opinion.

Unbeknownst to Soul, his Meister was having similar thoughts, but in her case they were of her Weapon's words to her. She knew that he had not noticed her changes in style, but she had. Two months ago her coat had gotten a bit tight to button up, not that she ever did in the heat of the Nevada desert, and then she noticed how the trench coat was beginning to fade and show the wear of the years of abuse. By now, it was clear that it was becoming restrictive and too small to fight in, much to her dismay; the coat had done well for her, and it had saved her hide on more occasions than she would like to mention or consider, and being unable to use it any longer was like losing an old friend.

Getting back to the point at hand, however, she knew his teasing was harmless, but she had hoped that Soul would have at least acknowledged her new figure. His words the night before last had hit her heavily, and made her realise that he had no interest in her.

_I know it's shallow and stupid,_ she thought guiltily. _But I thought that my room mate and partner would have been the first to notice. _Maka sighed inwardly. _Maybe it's 'cause I'm nothing like Blair or Tsubaki..._

The young Meister glowered with envy at the way that she was so easily ignored in terms of her body just because it was not as large as Tsubaki's or clad in as revealing clothes as Blair's. She prided herself on her more modest appearance, feeling uncomfortable in exposing t-shirts and overly short skirts or shorts, even though she liked to show some of her shapely, athletic legs. She had once contemplated wearing something which showed a little more skin, but she had always shied away under the fear of being laughed at by Soul for being so unorthodox from her usual state of mind.

"Here we are, Maka," Spirit announced, cutting off both of them from their thoughts. "Ok, before we start, I'm going to explain the basics. With this particular skill, there are actually two states; the first is the easiest, which is the transport form, and the second is the combat form, which is more advanced due to the implications behind it. I would say that it is best for you to try the transport form first and we'll see how you get on with that."

"Right," Maka nodded. She spun Soul over her head, a flamboyant display she had grown accustomed to using to clear her mind and improve both Soul's and her own focus on resonance.

"Now," Spirit went on. "You need to be able to mount Soul's scythe handle for this form, so get him low enough for you to do that." The Meister raised the scythe above her and swung the blade into the ground, driving it a fair way in so that she could swing one leg over the metal shaft. "Now, I want you to focus on the flaws with the scythe for flight and imagine a better state. Don't be too ambiguous with changes just yet; keep it simple." Maka and Soul focussed and the blade shrank inwards until it was less than half the original size, just over the length of the gold attachment over the blunt edge. "You're both doing great. Now, focus your soul wavelengths and resonate as you would normally, but this time with the image of wings in mind. Take your time, you have to settle on a design to make it work."

Their souls meshed and synchronised, imbuing them in an aura of blue light, ripples of energy running over their form as if electricity was coursing through their bodies. Their wavelengths matched, Maka and Soul appeared in the Black Room of Soul's subconscious, their clothes the same as they had been when they danced here so long ago. Soul smiled over to her from his position in the chair, standing up and walking to meet her on the checked floor.

"So, what are we going to go for?" the sharp-toothed young man asked, showing his pearly razors as he did.

"Well, we should go with something simple for now," Maka said, drawing on a piece of paper at the desk beside them. "I think something sort of like this..."

"Huh, that's pretty cool, but maybe more like this," Soul opted, rubbing out a section and redoing it. Maka frowned.

"That looks too aggressive!" she protested. Soul sighed and rolled his ruby irises at her, causing her to blush faintly, though she was not in his eyes, as he went back to the design.

"Ok, how about this?" he asked.

"Maybe... Can you draw them on your scythe mode?" Maka asked, uncertain.

"Sure... It'll probably be about here, so if we do this instead," Soul's mutters echoed with the scratching of the pencil against the paper, more directed to himself than Maka. "There, how's that?"

"Perfect!" Maka beamed. "It's just what we need."

"Cool, let's try them out," Soul grinned, the room fading but the image stayed firm in mind.

In the training ground, Spirit watched in amazement as the Meister and Weapon began to float in the air. The eyes on Soul's scythe mode lit up a bright blue and shrank inwards, contracting on the pupil. A burst of light shot out of each, twisting and contorting into the shape of wings. The wings were fairly spiky in design, sticking out of the eyes at a slight forward slant, then jutting out into a long, backward spine. On the other end was a slight curve on each wing like a talon. Between the larger of the two beams of light were three shorter spikes like feathers. The wings were very large, the span when fully unfurled from one tip to the other about that of the staff from end to end, and were a blue colour like the aura which had covered them at one stage, but had now subsided.

"That's great," Spirit announced, happy to see his daughter flying. "See how high and fast you can go. If you're in trouble, don't worry; this room is covered in a special magic to protect the occupants from serious injury."

The pair set off, gliding steadily over the groups and watching the sights unfold beneath Maka's feet. She smiled from atop her Weapon, letting their souls do the work.

"This is kinda relaxing, isn't it?" she said suddenly. Soul smiled, his reflection glinting in the short blade which jutted downwards like a rudder.

"Yeah," he said. "It's pretty cool to watch the world from up here; none of the noise from Black Star reaching us, nothing from those damned witches or Kishin souls... It's so much better up here."

Maka smiled at the thought, the Weapon floating downwards a little and then accelerating gradually until they were flying at incredibly high speed overhead. The pair let out a laugh at their capability, distracted from the scenes below.

A blast of dark blue shot passed them, missing by a tiny margin, burning through the right wing. Startled, they wobbled in mid-air, their resonance disturbed and their flight lost. Abruptly, the blue wings vaporised, making them fall away from one another and plummet downwards. Maka gripped Soul's handle tightly, but their falling speed was too great to re-establish the transport mode.

"Soul, match my wavelength!" she yelled over the rushing air. The Weapon muttered a hurried word of acknowledgement, then attempted it, focussing on the wings once again.

A pulse of light emerged behind Maka, splitting into two beams which then contorted into a pair of wings, but this was different to before. A smaller version of the transport form's wings had sprouted from her heels, reminding the young Meister of the Greek god Hermes, but from her back was a pair of pink, fluffy wings, feathered in design and more curvy than angular, much like the wings angels are seen with in paintings. _I didn't think of these... Is this Soul's doing? _Maka wondered silently.

_Guess it is,_ Soul's voice echoed inside her cranium. _I figured this would work better for you. The wings on your heels are for stability, so they are my design, and I thought you might like to look like an angel; after all, wasn't that your first thought when wings came to mind?_

Maka smiled at how her partner knew her, using the larger wings to balance them out and land gracefully on the ground beside a bemused and shellshocked Death the Kid. He watched as the wings vanished gradually into nothingness, then Soul as he transformed and gripped him by the collar.

"Dammit, Kid, was that you?" he growled.

"I apologise for that," the Grim Reaper replied sheepishly. "I tried the Death Cannon as Stein-sensei suggested, but the amount of power was more than I had anticipated and I lost my footing. Is it's any consolation, you two are not injured, and I almost shot Black Star too." Said assassin came stomping over, a look of intense annoyance on his face and large tick mark evident on his forehead.

"ALRIGHT!" he roared, his obnoxiously loud tone drawing everyone's attention. "Who the hell tried to shoot the almighty Black Star? Your god will not tolerate insolence or murder plots!"

"Chill, man, it was an accident," Soul said, trying to calm his friend while the other Weapons transformed back into their human states. "Kid tripped, that's all."

"Kid, you bastard!" the blue haired boy growled, trying to grab the OCD Meister, only to be restrained by Tsubaki, Soul and Maka. "I'll kill you for your insolent behaviour!"

"Calm down, Black Star!"

"Black Star, please, there is no need to be so violent!" Tsubaki pleaded as Maka was swatted away with a heavy swing. A huge tick mark erupted on her flesh.

"MAKA CHOP!" she shouted over the uproar, slamming a very thick book into Black Star's skull and making him fall silent. "Now would you just shut up for a minute?"

Silence fell upon the room as Marie ran in through the doorway.

"Stein, Spirit!" she called out, her eyes then falling on the group. "Oh, Spartoi is already assembled, I see. That will save some time then!" Everyone looked at the one-eyed woman intently, waiting for her to continue. "Lord Death has just received word of outbreaks of Madness in three areas around the world. He wants everyone in Spartoi, including the teachers involved, to report to the Death Room immediately for orders about their assignments."

* * *

><p><em>Alright, I hope that isn't too rushed.<em>

_I lucked out and got an extra long time to write this weekend, so this was finished in a very short time for once._

_Anyway, as always, let me know what you think and where I can improve._

_Also, thanks for the support so far, everyone; I really appreciate it!_

_Anyway, it's getting late and I'm going to bed soon._

_'Night guys and girls!_


	4. Madness Transponder

**Spoilers:**_ after the Anime and sort of from Manga chapter 62/3. You have been warnied._

**Warning(s): **_Possible swearing, mild/medium gore level potential, fluff._

**Pairing(s): **_SoMa, possibly some TsuStar and/or KidxLizxPatty_

**Brief: **_With the Kishin defeated, what new threats will rise up to face the heroes from Shibusen? Will Kid's words of warning when the Kishin was killed come true sooner than they thought? And can the Madness be eliminated completely before it consumes the world?_

**Disclaimer: **_Atsushi Okubo owns Soul Eater, not me._

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Four: Madness Transponder; The Mysterious New Foe<strong>

"Thank you all for coming so quickly," Lord Death announced as seriously as he could without using his normal voice, the small group that was Spartoi gathered before him in the Death Room. "I have recently received word about an outbreak of Madness in three separate and far apart locations. Since receiving the reports, a handful of Deathscythes have been dispatched to two of the sites; one in China, the other in Australia. The third site, however, is not in the vicinity of any Deathscythes positioned around the world."

"Where is this third location?" Kid asked.

"That is why you were called here," Lord Death informed his son. "The location is a fairly small village nearby, about a hundred miles or so due North of Death City. There is speculation that there may be someone coming our way, so I have decided to deploy the seven of you in Spartoi to investigate this outbreak and stop the one behind it. Understood?" The group nodded. "Good. Stein?"

"Due to the nature of this investigation, you will be required to stay alert," the man said, a half-burnt cigarette hanging in his right hand. "Maka, your Soul Perception ability will be particularly important for finding this person, and Black Star, your ability to use your Wavelength in melee combat could also be key.

"You will be dispatched by truck to the village, and from there you can locate the person responsible. However, you will be going alone to investigate, with Sid and Nygus on stand-by to offer support should the need arise. Is everything clear?" Again, the group nodded. "In that case, report to the main gate immediately; the truck is waiting for your arrival."

As the students left through the corridor of guillotines, Stein turned to Lord Death. As soon as the grey-haired man was sure that no one except Lord Death, Spirit, Marie and himself could hear his words, Stein spoke up.

"Lord Death," he said. "I realise that you made this group of students for this particular reason, but is it not dangerous to send them to a place like Aeron?"

"I understand your concern, Stein," Lord Death said, his voice masking his feelings. "But the fact is that they are more than capable of dealing with this problem. I know you do not doubt them, so have faith in their abilities." Stein turned and took a few steps away, heading for the exit, but stopping on the edge of the raised area in which the group had been gathered, taking one last drag on his cigarette before stubbing it out.

"There's just one more thing, sir," he said, his head turning to Lord Death as he spoke, his glasses reflecting the light and hiding his gaze. "Why did you not just send Justin to sort out this issue, or send him as back-up for them?"

A heavy silence fell over the trio of staff as they waited for the headmaster to speak again. The tension was palpable in the air as the seconds ticked by like minutes before Death spoke again.

"I did not want to bring this up in front of the children," he said grimly. "Nor did I want to inform the faculty in case this turned out to be nothing, but it appears that Justin Law has disappeared."

Spirit's eyes shot open at this.

"What did you say?" he asked, shocked. "When did that happen?"

"Two months ago, I sent Justin on a reconnaissance mission to investigate a group of disappearances and a suspected witch-controlled facility," Death recalled. "However, he did not report back, and after a couple of weeks I got worried.

"The team dispatched to assess what happened came back two weeks ago; there was only three of the eight of them left." Marie gasped at this, and even Stein had turned to the masked man, listening intently. "The reports were frantic and sketchy from two of them, but the team leader's was much clearer, although no more comforting. The report states that the facility is still operational, and he disappearances have reduced. On the way back, they encountered a creature described as disfigured beyond recognition and as twisted in mind and soul as its body. Such a being has never appeared before, and that worries me; there may be more to this than what we know."

The silence fell again, smothering the conversation effectively, leaving the unanswered questions frozen in their thinkers' throats.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Aeron Village Outskirts<strong>_

"Make way for the god of gods!" Black Star proclaimed to the air, the open top of the truck allowing him to shout and holler without deafening any of Spartoi any further than they already had been.

Tsubaki attempted to calm him down while Kid rubbed his temples, feeling the impending migraine press dangerously against his temporal lobes, while Liz went about doing her nails now that they had reached a smoother section of road and Patty joined in the raucous uproar of Black Star with her own equally boisterous laughter. Over the other side of the truck, Maka sat and talked with Soul about nothing much in particular, occasionally sharing a laugh as they reminisced. Every so often, Maka's gaze would fall upon the dark corner where the eigth member of their team sat, knees huddled close to his chest and chin resting atop them. Crona had been asked to join them by Maka, as they had not been able to spend much time together since Death City had been repaired.

"You ok, Crona?" she asked casually, her voice airy from the recent bout of laughter caused by Soul. The pink-haired male looked up and smiled lightly, nodding.

"I'm fine," he replied with a sense of confidence lingering in his voice. Since rescuing Stein from Medusa, Crona had become more in-tune with his mastery of the Black Blood, and even the sudden outbursts from Ragnorok had died down, resulting in a better social confidence than he had had before. "It's just a little daunting, don't you think? I mean, no one knows what caused this Madness, so it could be anything or anyone, right?"

"Yeah, but it's cool," Soul shrugged, hands behind his head. "Who or whatever is behind it, we can take them. I mean, come on, we have the coolest Deathscythes and Meisters here, and Maka did defeat the Kishin, so it's not like we're going to go down easily."

"Oh, I know, I just thought..." Crona stumbled over the words, but Black Star shouted over him, breaking the conversation effectively.

"We're finally here! Yahoo!"

Maka ground her teeth at the flamboyant announcement, but said nothing as the group disembarked. The village sat in a valley beneath them, the fairly small buildings spreading out over the opening in the hills for miles. The red-brick buildings had twisted black, cast-iron chimneys protruding from the ebony sea of the roof-tiles which sat like ceramic hats upon the strange, non-uniform houses. As they entered the town, they came across a large building which was a deep orange hue and had a red-faced clock on the front. The building looked like it was marble, designed in Greek stylistics with six tall pillars holding up the triangular top-most segment. The group stopped in the middle of the blue cobbled square before the building and Maka attempted her Soul Perception, only for it to fail to read anything too useful. Ignoring the hustle and bustle of the people as they went about their business, Maka turned to the group and laid out the plan.

"Alright, this place is much larger than I thought it would be, so we'll have to split up to find our target," Maka announced, her serious, straight-to-business methodology taking hold. "Black Star, you and Tsubaki look around Western Aeron. Kid, you, Liz and Patty take the East. Crona, I need you to check the South while Soul and I check the North. Is everyone clear?" Everyone nodded. "Good. If you find the target or get into trouble, flare your Soul Wavelengths and everyone else will converge on your location. Let's go."

The group split up, heading in their different directions to search for the person behind the outbreak of Madness. Crona wandered the streets alone, left hand gripping his right upper arm as a sense of comfort to the young man.

_Ragnorok,_ he thought-spoke to the liquefied Weapon within his veins. _Can you feel anything unusual about the people around us?_

_**Hm,**_ the Weapon replied. **_Now that you mention it, something don't feel right about them. I thought it was the smell, but now I'm starting to wonder if it's something else._**

_Could it be the Madness that Stein-sensei mentioned? _Crona's thoughts were full of anxiety.

_**Doubt it,**_ Ragnorok huffed. **_Nothing really strong about it; it's probably residual from the outbreak or something, not the actual thing._**

The boy nodded subconsciously, relieved, but as another person brushed by him, his skin prickled and turned icy cold. The feeling of anxiety intensified as the person continued passed him, ignoring his presence and going about their day as if all were normal, but something about their soul and the reaction Crona felt as they neared told the Meister otherwise. However, before he could stop the person or get a fix on them, they had vanished into the crowd which clogged the way back.

"What on earth was that?" he wondered, body shivering still.

In the Northern part of Aeron Village, Soul and Maka walked the streets, which were growing less-densely crowded as they progressed through it, Maka using her Soul Perception at all times while Soul wondered if it would have been easier if he had brought his motorcycle with him as he walked casually a few step behind Maka.

"I can't seem to find anything off," she said, a little crestfallen. "I wonder if it was all a hoax."

"Don't be ridiculous," Soul said. "Do you really think Lord Death would be fooled by a hoax? It's more likely whatever happened here happened too long ago and we've missed it."

"You have a point," Maka sighed, stopping and sighing, thinking with her left arm crossed over her chest, hand holding her right elbow, the hand of which supported her chin as she gazed into the darkening sky. "Come to think of it, did Lord Death even tell us when this happened?"

"Not that I remember," the scythe replied. "Could have been anywhere from a few days ago to a few hours ago, by my reckoning."

"That's about right, child," a sinister voice said from the tree line, making Maka aware that no one else was around wandering the streets, telling her something bad was about to happen. "More accurately, it was two days ago that my Wavelength touched this village. I didn't expect students from the academy so soon, if I'm honest, but no matter."

The sound of metal clanking steadily and regularly echoed through the trees as the shadows began to peel away from the emerging man. Instinctively, Soul transformed into his Weapon mode and took up his place in Maka's awaiting grip, the glow of his change subsiding as the newcomer began to emerge from the tree line and onto the cobblestones.

In the dimmed light of the approaching night, Maka could clearly see that the person was in a heavy suit of armour, which looked similar to that of a knights armour, but with significant differences. For one thing, the metal was a dark purple-black instead of the generic silver. Though this was not a real concern, it did raise the Meister's suspicions. The pauldrons were ordinary looking at first glance, but each was adorned with a trio of small, curved spikes on the apex, and they jutted out further than what was normal, making the man seem broader-shouldered than he was for intimidating effect. The stop-ribs were riveted on with a spiked tip jutting from each rivet, adding to the intimidatory factor. The vambraces were fully exposed to the outer world, bar the small couter which bore a solitary spine on it, revealing another triplet of spikes over the forearms. The arms ended in a pair of thick metal gauntlets but with the fingers separate from one another and claw-tipped for each, giving the figure a demonic look.

Going up the lower part of the body, a thick boot which went over the foot and half way up the shin on each leg, the pointed toe and flared, sharp end to the boots adding to the aggressive look. The greaves and cuisses, disappointingly, were plain, though a spiked poleyn sat between the two parts to make up for it. The tassets too were plain, but a dark red scabbard sat on the left hip, the broad, double-edged sword sleeping in it calmly.

The chest plate was most unusual; the abdomen was covered in a series of sharp teeth which were moulded into the metal and then painted silver with small flecks of red on them, and above that sat the Kishin's emblem in red over the chest, the three eyes staring sightlessly at the Meister and Weapon stood before them. Two more short spike reared up out of the chest plate, each short and one on either of the collar bones. Strapped to the back was a shield.

Lastly was the helmet, but that did not make it any less impressive; there were three spines which ran out of either side, each long and curved, tapering to a point, with one of each curve of the head and a final, shorter on on the top in the centre. This spike was painted with a gold join to the helmet itself and each one was red in colour. Also visible on the helmet was a large visor which covered all of the face-plate except a small bit about the chin, the lowered panel only broken up by the seven jagged slits in it, but only dark shadows could be seen within the openings.

"Who are you?" Maka demanded, taking up a defensive stance.

"I am the Madness Transponder of the Western European Sector," the man replied, his tone regal as if he were part of the nobility but with an edge of venom underlying it. "They call me the Black Knight."

"Well then, Black Knight," Maka's response was calm and well rehearsed; she had had to do this many times, and it no longer felt right to skip the formalities before a battle. "I am the Three-Star Meister Maka Albarn of Spartoi, and this is my Weapon, the Deathscythe Soul Eater. Are you responsible for the happenings here?"

"I suppose I am, yes," the knight visibly shrugged under the heavy armour. "What of it?"

"In that case," Maka punctuated her point by spinning Soul overhead and channelling their Wavelengths together. "In the name of Lord Death, I am here to take your soul."

"Pah," the Black Knight scoffed, drawing his sword. "Lord Death, huh? I've never heard of Spartoi, but let's see what you're made of, little girl!"

Without missing a beat, the man was on them before a second had passed, his swing barely missing Maka's left arm as she dashed right to dodge it. She flared up her Wavelength, calling to the others in the area, but the Black Knight kept coming. Soul's Wavelength touched her own and meshed with it, resonating and powering up a Witch Hunter, but the left, well-armoured palm raised to meet it in mid swing, cancelling the downward Figure Six Hunter and forcing them back without leaving even a scratch.

"I don't get it," Soul said, puzzled. "Why didn't Witch Hunter have any effect? And where the hell are Black Star, Kid and the others?"

"Your back-up not coming as you thought?" the knight yelled out, slashing at Maka's head, but she dodged backwards, vaulting over the swing using Soul. "That's probably because your signal never got out. I have been blessed with the divine Wavelength known as Ferrum Muro, the Iron Wall. No Wavelength appears to change within my field of effect as long as I want it to remain as it is. It also prevents me from being found by Soul Perception, as I'm sure you have by now realised."

"No way!" Maka gasped, rolling out of the way of another on-coming strike. "Soul, let's try Witch Hunter again!"

"Right!" Soul replied, matching his Wavelength to Maka's and powering them up as high as they could. The blue aura intensified, glowing ominously as they ran in for another attack. "Now Maka!"

"Hunter Fang!" the young Meister shouted, ripping Soul in an upward arc and releasing a powerful arch of energy which tore across the ground towards the knight, who raised his sword and blocked with one hand on the flat of the blade.

The blue fang of light ground slowly to a halt as the sword intercepted into and brought it to a standstill. The armoured man grunted as he held the arc, but let out a roar, raising his Wavelength drastically. A purple light flickered around the sword's blade as he twisted it and slashed to the right, tearing through the ranged attack but leaving him open to the unforeseen swing of the pick-axe-like blade of Witch Hunter, which embedded itself in between the two rows of teeth on the man's abdomen, a slight cracking noise emanating from it. Pleased with the effectiveness of the attack, Maka growled, channelling her and Soul's Wavelengths into the blade and increasing it's size in an attempt to shatter the breastplate and gain access to the weaker being within it. They had not expected what happened next.

The eyes lit up on the chest, and it was now that they were so close that Maka could see that it was not painted on but carved _in_ the armour, the metal reddened around the etching and giving the initial which they had come across. However, as she thought of this, the teeth clenched, then parted into a deep roar, the shockwave of which took her by surprise. Shocked, their Wavelengths split, and the resulting explosion separated the Meister and Weapon, stunning both of them deeply. The Black Knight stood over Maka, chuckling darkly as he raised the sword at her throat, the purple hue fading fast.

"Is that all a member of Spartoi can do?" he questioned. "In that case, your group is a pathetic waste of space, and in doing this, I am doing Death a favour." He raised his arm high to strike her as she lay immobile, paralysed by fear. "Give my regards to Asura-sama."

The silver glinted evilly in the moonlight as it came tearing downward for Maka's throat, but the impact never came. Instead, the knight grunted as someone or something ran into him, knocking him over and sending him sprawling. Maka looked, expecting to see Soul or Black Star standing next to her, but saw it was another person entirely.

The newcomer had brown eyes, but the rest of his face and hair was shrouded in a black scarf like a ninja mask. The irises were dark, with a tint of silver glinting in them as they fell upon her form, which was still on the cold stone floor. Looking the person over, Maka could see that they wore a black travelling cloak with a pair of thick black boots and dark denim jeans, but she could not see their torso due to them having their back to her.

"You ok?" the person asked in a fairly deep voice, telling Maka they were in fact a man. She nodded meekly. "Good. Go to you Weapon and wait here."

Before she could argue, the man had run forwards, performing a roundhouse kick into the Black Knight's side. A spark of red flashed between the foot and the Knight, and the Ferrum Muro Wavelength's effect shuddered away, as if scared off by the impact. With it gone, the other members of Spartoi and Crona could sense the change in Wavelength to Maka and Soul, and quickly made haste to their friends. No sooner did he notice this, did the Black Knight straighten up, raise his weapon high and stab the ground, a purple pillar of light consuming him.

"You're lucky this time, peasants," he spat. "But next time won't be the same!"

And with that said, he vanished. The man stood where he was, Maka a few metres behind and about to ask who or what he was, when he suddenly dashed off, disappearing into the forest.

"Hey, wait!" she shouted after him, but the strange man was gone before she could even start running.

With their work done for the time being, the team rendezvoused with Sid and Nygus and headed back to Death City, Maka and Soul's minds plagued with questions of just who that man had been.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Next Day<strong>_

* * *

><p><em><em>_**Death Room**_

"Hm, that certainly is peculiar," Lord Death mused, thinking. "And you don't know who this person was or even his name?"

"No, sir," Maka replied sheepishly. She was stood in the Death Room with Lord Death, Soul and Spirit present, the others from Spartoi elsewhere in Shibusen. "It was really lucky how he turned up like that, but he didn't tell us his name."

"How odd," the Grim Reaper thought. "Oh, that reminds me, we have a new advisor coming in today."

"It's not another of those whack-jobs from Oceania, is it?" Soul asked with a huff. "The last one tried to burn the school down by fitting flamethrowers to the walls."

"No no, Soul, nothing like that," Death chuckled. "It's an old student from here. In fact, he should be here any minute."

"Cool," Soul sighed with relief.

"Where is Black Star? It's not like him to miss a new student's arrival," Maka wondered, looking around.

"On the contrary, Maka," Death said, a little ashamed in tone. "He's already at the front gates of the school."

* * *

><p><em>Alright, I apologise for the wait, but I was away last week, so I couldn't write at all. I hope you can forgive me for that.<em>

_Now then, that is the first Madness Transponder revealed; thoughts on the Black Knight, anyone? I'd love to hear them._

_Also, please review to let me know where I'm doing well or where I can improve, I appreciate the time put into any reviews I get._

_Until next time!_


	5. Spartoi's Newest Recruits

**Spoilers:**_ after the Anime and sort of from Manga chapter 62/3. You have been warnied._

**Warning(s): **_Possible swearing, mild/medium gore level potential, fluff._

**Pairing(s): **_SoMa, possibly some TsuStar and/or KidxLizxPatty_

**Brief: **_With the Kishin defeated, what new threats will rise up to face the heroes from Shibusen? Will Kid's words of warning when the Kishin was killed come true sooner than they thought? And can the Madness be eliminated completely before it consumes the world?_

**Disclaimer: **_Atsushi Okubo owns Soul Eater, not me._

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Five: Spartoi's Newest Recruits; A Kishin Weapon in Shibusen?<strong>

Kid, Liz and Patty stood by the main entrance of the school, Kid watching his fellow Meister as he awaited the new advisor's arrival. He knew exactly what the young assassin was doing; he had done exactly the same thing on Kid's first at the school too.

_Why on Earth did father openly admit that there was someone coming in today? _he wondered to himself. _It's not like there was any news of it in school, which means that Black Star would not have heard about this until it was too late to interfere like this. Could it be that he wanted to have him fight this person, or has father just had a lapse in judgement? _The young Grim Reaper sighed, unable to determine which just not; he would pass judgement on his father's actions when the fighting had taken place.

"When the hell's this guy gonna get here?" Black Star yelled obnoxiously. "Man, this is worse than when I challenged you to fight me, Kid!"

"In fairness, you now know about my compulsion with symmetry, Black Star," the Deathscythe Twin Pistol Meister replied levelly. "Besides, at least this time you have Tsubaki as your Weapon and not Soul like when you did challenge me."

"The great Black Star still defeated you, Kid!" Black Star protested adamantly.

"By default after I had a lapse in symmetrical balance, as you know by now," Kid sighed back. "One can hardly call a victory by default a victory."

"It's still technically a victory!" Black Star let out a raucous laugh, proclaiming that he had surpassed the gods in that moment, much to Kid's annoyance.

"There really is no reasoning with him when he's in this kind of mood," Liz sighed, one hand on her hip as she watched the blue-haired Meister laugh. Her attention was drawn by a black cloth appearing over the edge of the stairs, bobbing as the wearer traversed the final steps. "Hey, Kid, is that the guy you're waiting for?"

"Hm?" Kid looked up and followed his Weapon's gaze. The person had just stepped over the final stair and stopped on the spot, gazing at the five students gathered there. "Tell me, are you the advisor my father sent for?"

"Your father?" the person asked, the deep tone telling them it was a man. "Oh, you must be the infamous Death the Kid, which makes the two girls beside you the Thompson sisters, right?" The pair of Weapons looked surprised by this, but his eyes fell upon the other two people present. "Judging by that tattoo on your shoulder, you must be Black Star, the Dark Arm Meister, and I guess that the girl with you is your Weapon Tsubaki. Tell me, is Spartoi meeting me here or something? And if that is the case, you appear to be one pair down."

"Shut up, lowly peasant!" Black Star roared, pointing an accusatory finger at the advisor. "I, the great Black Star, am not here to welcome you to Shibusen! You are walking on my ground without first asking me, which I take as insolence! I demand that you bow down to your god or prepare to fight me!"

"Oh, is that so?" the man asked, removing his cloth mask and allowing the tails to flow behind him in the breeze, flipping his arms out of the cloak and throwing the material behind his shoulders. "In that case, I accept your challenge, 'god'."

"Careful, Black Star," Kid warned. "We don't know his capabilities, or even if he is a Weapon or a Meister."

"Pah, like I'm worried about that," the arrogant young man scoffed. "Doesn't matter who or what he is, he'll go down just like anyone else I've come across! Tsubaki, ninja sword mode!"

The Dark Arm nodded, transforming into the short blade with it's black markings snaking over the blade and her Meister's arm.

Liz, Kid and Patty stood at the sidelines to watch the fight, taking in the newcomer's appearance. He wore a black travellers cloak with a separate cloth sash which acted as a mask. Beneath these, he wore a grey t-shirt with a red skull logo emblazoned onto his left-side chest, along with a pair of dark denim jeans and thick black boots, which Kid suspected were of an ex-military variant. From this, the group could see that he looked fairly muscular, not as much so as Black Star, but probably more so than Kid himself. They could also see the juvenile looks of the brown-haired man, and, judging by the fairly short hair, which was spiked up on top, the steely brown eyes and the minor facial hair around the chin, deduced he was about sixteen or seventeen, but not much older than them at any stretch.

"Well then, let's get started," the boy said, taking no moves to change his form or take a defensive stance. "However, before that I should introduce myself to 'the great Black Star'. My name is Kai Friel, and it's nice to be fighting you today."

"Shut the hell up!" Black Star yelled, running forwards. "Talk is for the weak! Now, take action!" The assassin moved in to perform a Soul-Force attack. "Let's see how you like Black Star's Big Wave!"

The fist extended towards the target with it's usual speed, precision and power without Kai making any move against him, but his hand abruptly shot upwards and caught the fist in mid travel. Unfazed, Black Star released the built-up power of his Soul-Force attack, creating a forceful electric shock over the area.

Kai splayed his fingers and the electricity faded, instead replaced by a visible blue ripple between where their hands met. Black Star froze, shocked by this reaction, while Kai grinned and sent his own force into the assassin, the gentle push of his arm sending him skidding back to where he had started with a series of red sparks fluxing through the open air around them. Black Star looked up, his eyes full of killing intent as he ran forwards. This time, Kai moved too, swinging a powerful kick in towards Black Star's head, but the strike missed and the ninja sword swung down on the shin, slicing into the material and heading for the skin but stopping abruptly and bouncing off.

"What's going on?" Liz asked. "Shouldn't he be bleeding?"

"Something isn't right about this guy," Kid mused. "Liz, Patty, transform immediately!"

"Gotcha!" Patty chimed in, transforming with her sister into their Weapon forms.

Kid fired a few shots from the pistols, forcing Kai to back off from his attack and take up an evasive run, the shots following him a bit too slowly to hit.

"Hey, Kid!" Black Star shouted. "Stop trying to upstage me!"

"You're an idiot, Black Star!" Kid replied over the gunfire. "Hurry up and get him while I distract him!"

The assassin grinned to his friend, activating Speed Star and appearing before Kai, another Soul-Force charged. The impact came shortly after Maka, Soul and Lord Death arrived at the entrance of the school, and the same thing happened as last time, the blue ring which exploded out of the impact and the red sparks in the air after the collision was forced apart. Maka raised an eyebrow at this strange move.

"Lord Death," she said. "What was that move Black Star used just now? It doesn't look like it did anything to help him."

"Black Star was attempting to use Soul-Force, Maka," the Grim Reaper replied. "That ring is a move that his opponent used known as Counter Spin, and the red energy is from his own Soul-Force attack."

"Who is that guy anyway?" Soul asked, squinting at the boy who was moving with rapid speed in the battlefield, making it hard to see him properly.

"That, Soul," Death went on. "Is the advisor I told you about. His name is Kai Friel, and he used to go to this academy. He left a couple of years ago, now that I think about it, but he stayed in touch when he could." The masked man turned to Maka. "Maka, I want you to do something. Could you use Soul Perception and observe the battle without getting involved?"

"Sure," Maka nodded, her eyes lighting up a brighter green as her ability activated.

Gazing at the battle, she could see Black Star's loud soul working with Tsubaki's quieter one, as well as Kid's hectic soul working with Liz and Patty's more docile ones. Her eyes fell upon Kai, and a frown extended over her face. She could see a red soul with a pair of short dragon-like wings attached to it, but something was odd about it. Encircling the soul was a black and red electric energy which resembled a dragon with two wings, two arms and a long tail, which appeared to be flying around the soul. As if noticing her staring at it, the creature wrapped it's tail around the soul and hissed at her, wigs unfurled intimidatingly.

"What is that on his soul?" she asked, but her question was not answered. The look on Lord Death's face told her that she would get the answer for such a question in time.

Black Star tried another Soul-Force, but again Kai's Counter Spin nullified it. From her position, Maka could clearly see Kai's soul change to match Black Star's in power and density, but the Wavelength he gave off was the opposite of Black Star's, telling her that was how he did it. Kid fired upon Kai again, trying to reduce his movements so that Black Star could strike him, but the strange boy change his course, running at Kid directly. This change of tactic took Kid by surprise, and he took the kick in full swing, spinning away.

"Kid!" Liz's voice echoed as he flailed, and he quickly realised that his Weapon had fallen from his grip. Unable to stand the asymmetry of himself, Kid threw Patty into the air. "What are you doing, idiot?"

"Shut up, Liz," Kid begged. "You know I can't fight with only Patty!"

Before she could transform or offer a swift rebuttal, Liz's Weapon form was grabbed mid-sprint by Kai, who aimed the barrel of the Death Eagle at Black Star and fired a single shot, shocking the assassin as he took the blast head-on. Smiling, Kai fired another blast, this one aimed at Kid, but the young Reaper was ready for it and dived aside quickly.

"Huh, revolutions are point three two off per cycle," Kai mused.

He shut his eyes, a red aura surrounding him as a stream of electricity pulsed from Liz's pistol state. The pistol started to glow dark blue and extended up Kai's arm, forming a large cannon with Lord Death's mask on the off-side. The resonating form of the Weapon looked no different to before she became a Deathscythe except that there was gold plating with black marks instead of the usual silver chrome, and instead of three spines on the upper arm, there was six split by an angle of about sixty degrees. The Weapon solidified and Kai took aim on Black Star as he ran at him, a ball of orange energy lighting the barrel.

"Liz, jam your Wavelength!" Kid demanded.

"I'm trying, but it's not working!" Liz snapped. "He's overridden my ability to break resonance!"

"Dammit," Kid ground his teeth. "Just what the hell is this guy?"

"Black needle charged," Kai muttered, a red heads-up display projecting from the Weapon and in front of his eyes. "Resonance stabilised, target locked." The HUD showed a pair of circles which overlapped over Black Star's sprinting form. "Fire Death Cannon!"

The blast was huge, much larger than what it had once been, and it barely missed the young assassin, exploding a few feet behind him, but the blast force caused him to stumble. Abruptly, Liz returned to her normal state and transformed into her human form, Kai discarding her and running at Black Star. He struck him in the back with a Soul-Force, sending his grip loose and allowing Kai to capture Tsubaki in his hand. Black lightning pulsed over the Weapon as Kai stabbed the ninja sword blade into the ground, a series of black tendrils threading through the ground and grabbing Black Star by the ankle, raising him from the ground and restraining him effectively. Kid was about to grab Patty and Liz, who had transformed in the midst of the disruption, but two more tendrils grabbed the pistols in mid-air and a third grabbed Kid.

Kai looked up, his eyes glowing red as he observed the situation. His eyes fell on Lord Death and a smile graced the left corner of his mouth.

"Long time no see, Lord Death," he said. "I see the school hasn't changed a bit since I left."

"Yeah, we've been pretty busy, you know," the headmaster replied, walking forward with Maka and Soul a few steps behind.

"So I hear," Kai moved his left arm and the tendrils lowered the four student to the ground before he then relinquished his grip on Tsubaki, who instantly transformed and ran to Black Star's side. "How did that go?"

"Quite well, actually," the Grim Reaper nodded. Kai walked toward the masked man and the Scythe Meister behind him. "Kai, I would like to introduce the last members of Spartoi, the Death Scythe Soul Eater and his Meister Maka Albarn." Kai's eyes, which were no longer red, widened in surprise.

"Ah, the legend herself," he smiled. "I take it you are Kami's girl, right?"

"Y- You know Mama?" Maka asked, surprised.

"Of course," Kai nodded. "She was the one who brought me here five years ago from the Witch Facility."

"Hey, where's your Weapon, dude?" Soul asked, disinterested with the past. Kai gave him a blank look. "You're a Meister; surely you have a Weapon partner, right?"

"Oh, I see your misunderstanding," Kai chuckled, shaking his head. "It's the other way around, actually." He looked at Lord Death. "You didn't tell them, did you." His tone said it was a matter-of-fact, not a question.

"Well, no, I didn't," Death rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I thought you might like to instead."

"Fair enough," Kai shrugged. "You see, I'm not a Meister. I'm a Weapon; a Kishin Weapon."

Maka's eyes went wide and her skin paled upon hearing this. It was beyond her how her mother would bring a Kishin Weapon to Shibusen, or why Lord Death would ask one to come there. Soul clenched his fist, ready to fight if needs be.

"Or rather," Kai elaborated. "I was meant to be. You see, when your mother found me, I tried to kill her. It was her anti-Demon Wavelength which stopped me and reverted me to this. Even so, I was given the ability to force resonance if I need to, to utilise other Weapons as and when I need to, and to be an autonomous Weapon. Then again, you have those abilities too, even if they are dormant."

Maka blinked, her brain processing the information, but Lord Death clapped his hands and caught everyone's attentions.

"Alright, then," he announced. "Let's continue this in the Death Room, shall we?"

The group walked into the building and through the corridors, Black Star still feeling the sting of defeat at his own Weapon's hand, Tsubaki trying to apologise to him, Kid and the Thompsons trying to process what had happened as best they could, and Soul walking with a disinterested look. His red eyes drifted to Kai, who was walking beside Maka, talking between them in low tones. A pang of hurt and jealousy coursed through him as he saw his Meister with another Weapon, but he hid it as best he could, not wanting to make a scene. Maka looked sheepishly at Kai, then returned her gaze in front of her.

"Thanks," she said in a mumble. Kai looked at her, right eyebrow raised in confusion. "You know, for helping me yesterday."

"Oh, that," Kai replied, shrugging. "I've been tracking that guy for a while now. That damned Ferrum Muros Wavelength doesn't help, but if I get close, I can deal with him."

"Yeah, about that," Maka said, thinking back to when he had saved her; the red sparks and the sudden lift of the Wavelength's effects. "What did you do to him yesterday?"

"You mean the flash when I kicked him, I take it." Maka nodded, her inquisitive eyes set on him. "It's simple, really. I have a short-range nullifying Wavelength, which I can focus into my legs to force a particularly tricky entity to deactivate it's effects over an area. Obviously, it doesn't work well on the Anti-Demon Wavelength, nor does it on a full nullifying Wavelength, but there you go."

Maka nodded, and the pair of them walked in comfortable silence for the rest of the journey. Once they were safely inside the Death Room, Lord Death turned to the group and addressed them all. Along with the nine of them was Crona and Stein, who had arrived moments before they had.

"Well, everyone, I have an announcement!" the Lord of Death said boisterously. "I have decided to allow both Crona and Kai onto the Spartoi team, as I feel that their abilities may prove to be useful. I want you all to return to the Deathscythe Training area and work in the teams which Stein allocates to you. Is that clear?" No objections were heard, so Steain took over.

"Alright, Black Star and Tsubaki," Stein said. "I want you to work with Crona to help him with his swordsmanship. You can draft in any help you want, but make sure that training still only takes place in the Deathscythe training zone. Kid, I want you to perfect your resonance with Liz and Patty, and try not to have a repeat of last time, whatever you do." Kid blushed a little and looked away, ashamed of himself for not controlling the blast. "That leaves Maka and Soul. I want you to work with Kai on advanced aerial combat and manoeuvres. This could be important, so pay close attention to what he tell you."

Soul clenched his fist at this, but he did not speak up, knowing that the lesson could be important.

"Good," Lord Death said. "In that case, good luck with your training, everyone!"

* * *

><p><em>Yeah, I was writing something for Bleach, but I couldn't help myself, so I wrote chapter five over the last couple of days.<em>

_Hope you like my OC, and I hope that you enjoy what is to come._

_Anyway, reviews are appreciated, as usual, otherwise I'll post again soon (hopefully)._


	6. Advanced Training Begins

**Spoilers:**_ after the Anime and sort of from Manga chapter 62/3. You have been warnied._

**Warning(s): **_Possible swearing, mild/medium gore level potential, fluff._

**Pairing(s): **_SoMa, possibly some TsuStar and/or KidxLizxPatty_

**Brief: **_With the Kishin defeated, what new threats will rise up to face the heroes from Shibusen? Will Kid's words of warning when the Kishin was killed come true sooner than they thought? And can the Madness be eliminated completely before it consumes the world?_

**Disclaimer: **_Atsushi Okubo owns Soul Eater, not me._

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Six: Advanced Training Begins; What is a Soul Wavelength?<strong>

Soul's venomous crimson irises drifted to Maka as she laughed at something, the dark-haired young man beside her smiling lightly and chuckling with her. He felt his blood boil with envious jealousy upon seeing this, detesting that his Meister was with another Weapon, especially one such as Kai; it was bad enough that she was enjoying his company, but the fact that he was a Kishin Weapon was all the more annoying to the young Deathscythe.

"Alright, shall we begin our aerial combat lesson now?" Kai asked, but Maka raised her hand as if she were in a classroom, making him waver slightly. "Uh, yes, do you have a question?"

"A couple," Maka nodded. "I wanted to know what that strange thing around your soul is, and also what your Weapon form is."

"Ah, that," Kai nodded curtly. "I'll be honest, I thought you would have raised that point with the others present, but no matter. When your mother rescued me with her Anti-Demon Wavelength, it didn't purge me entirely of my darkness. That thing, as you so aptly called it, is the remnant of my darkness, something I am capable of using to fight with as much power as I need without losing myself to it; something which is quite useful now that I have some control over it.

"As for my Weapon mode, my full form is actually limited, but I can take the shape of a sword as my primary form or a dragon-styled armour as secondary. It's sort of useful to have multiple forms; means I'm useful in more than just one situation."

"That makes sense," Maka nodded. "Alright, let's get started."

Kai nodded and moved forward behind Maka, but Soul cut him off, pushing him back. Maka whipped around, seeing her Weapon stood between herself and the Kishin Weapon, his body tensed and in a pugnacious stance, ready to attack if needs be. Kai cocked his head.

"What's up?" he asked. Soul clenched his fist tighter.

"Stay the hell away from my Meister," Soul growled. Maka stepped forward.

"Soul, don't-" she started, but Kai raised a hand.

"It's alright, Maka, he has a right to question me," he responded, before turning his gaze to Soul. "What seems to be the trouble, Soul?"

"You know exactly what I mean," Soul growled, a large blade growing along his forearm and jutting out a short way from his hand. "If you want to be Maka's Weapon, you'll have to kill me first. I am not gonna give up my Meister without a fight, even if my opponent is stronger than me!"

"Soul, this is-"

"Maka, it's alright," Kai interrupted. "Soul, I understand your dilemma, but there is no need to worry; when they made me, I synchronised with a Meister and became bound to them, so no only she can use my full potential; the stuff which even I can't use myself. I'm flattered you thought that I was trying to take your partner as my own, but the fact remains that I cannot change Meister so freely, so you can put your mind at rest."

"You expect me to believe that?" Soul asked. Despite his doubtfulness, he seemed to visibly relax. "What guarantee is there that you aren't gonna try it?"

"I guess I cannot prove it to you without you meeting my true Meister, but I assure you that I am not lying." Kai smiled reassuringly. "If you still doubt me, then hit me, I will allow you a free hit on me. However, if you continue to persist with this after that, I will have no choice but to fight you, Soul, and I don't want to do that."

Soul's resolve wavered as Kai said this, and more so when Maka stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. The look in her eyes begged him to stop his actions silently, melting his anger away. Reluctantly, he retracted the blade into his arm and eased up.

"Fine," he relented. "I guess it wouldn't be cool if I attacked you like that."

Kai nodded in approval, but reared back a little as the female Meister brought a rather large text book crashing down upon the young Deathscythe's head, leaving a very large dent in his cranium.

"Ow!" Soul yelled, rubbing his head and whipping round to face Maka, who gripped the book tightly, ready for a second swing if needs be. "What the fuck, Maka?"

"That's for doubting me," she replied, her tone low and deathly. "Even if he can bend his soul wavelength to match mine, there's no way that anyone can change my mind of who I want as my Weapon." She smiled at Soul, who was staring incredulously back at her, but his features softened and eased into a half-smile back. Behind the Deathscythe, Kai cleared his throat, drawing their attentions to him.

"Sorry, but have you learnt about advanced soul mechanics?" he asked, a frown on his face. Maka shook her head. "I thought not from that sentence." It was Maka's turn to frown.

"What's wrong with saying that you can bend your soul wavelength?" she asked.

"It's not accurate," Kai said bluntly. "I'll tell you what, I'll explain how it works; at least then maybe it will make this next training easier. Interested?" Soul looked disinterested, but Maka nodded eagerly. "Alright, explain to me what you think of when you hear the term 'soul wavelength'."

"Well," Maka replied, thinking carefully with her right index finger resting thoughtfully on her lips. "I suppose it's a fluctuation in power between two fixed points on a spectrum. The wave that a Meister creates can be matched by a Weapon, which increases the overall soul energy a pair can have."

"Where did you learn that?" Kai asked. Maka shrugged.

"Sid-sensei recommended this book to learn about it." She held up the book in her hand, revealing the cover _'Soul Physics for Beginners'_, to which Kai rubbed his temples in response.

"Sid, huh? I swear that guy has a hole in his head sometimes," he sighed.

"Actually, he has one now," Soul pointed out. Kai looked up and gave him a dumbfounded look.

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, he ended up impaled on a miniature statue of Liberty through his head," Soul nodded. Kai chuckled satirically at that.

"Huh, kinda fitting when you think about it," he said, before shaking his head. "My point is that Stein clearly hasn't taught your class about more advanced techniques for single partners, which requires a knowledge of advanced soul physics and the mechanics of souls. Basically, the basics are fine to grasp the facts, but once you need to be more advanced it becomes completely useless and falls apart. For starters, the idea of two waves of equal frequency and amplitude enhancing one another is ridiculous, as it in fact cancels each other out, which makes that the synapses of how 'Counter-Spin' functions. Also, the wave idea is two dimensional; it goes up and down and also forwards, but that means that soul perception would only work directly in front of the targets, making that more like how a 'Soul-Force' works.

"In reality, souls emit a sort of tail behind them. It's impossible to see it with Soul Perception alone, but it's there. The outer shell of the soul houses a powerful energy centre, and this is what makes that tail by forcing the energy through a slit in the outer shell. As the outer shell rotates, the tail whips around it, and can be drawn in closer when it spins faster. The amplitude of the wave comes from the fact that it forms a circle around the soul as it spins, which gives an oscillation between two fixed points of power and therefore gives a range from, say, one to minus one. When two souls match wavelengths, it means the strength of their soul energy being displaced and the number of rotational cycles per minute are equal, and the ripples meld together and emit their own pulse, which is how Soul Resonance works. Make sense?"

Soul gave Kai a blank look, the information going right over his head, but Maka just nodded. It dawned on her that the philosophy of the idea made more sense the way Kai phrased it than the way she did. She frowned a little, feeling a little outdone by this, but she soon lightened up when Kai smiled and patted her shoulder.

"It's alright, not many people realise that, in all fairness," he said. "Hell, were it not for my abilities as a Kishin Weapon, I wouldn't know it either." He backed away from Maka and thrust his hands into his pockets. "Anyway, let's get this training done."

The Scythe Meister and her Weapon both nodded their agreement to the Weapon, taking up their position with Soul in Maka's gloved grip, ready to resonate when prompted. Far away from the group of three stood a certain boisterous assassin holding a black-bladed katana and a meek purple-haired boy with an equally dark blade, though this one was adorned with silver spiked metal strips and a white stripe trough the centre. Black Star smiled up at Crona reassuringly.

"That was good," he said, giving the boy a thumbs up. "You need to swing harder if you want to cut the great Black Star, but you're getting the hang of it!"

"Thanks," Crona mumbled a little shyly. "Uh, didn't you say there was someone you asked to come here?"

"Huh?" Black Star thought a moment before it dawned on him what Crona meant. "Oh, you mean Mifune? Yeah, he should be here soon. Now, let's go again!"

"Sword Fang," came a gruff voice from somewhere out of their vision. "Horizontal Line Attack!"

The sound of metal striking metal echoed over the room, and three objects glinted in the air as they launched forwards towards Black Star. The assassin smirked a little, then ducked the first object, dodged left from the second and brought the Enchanted Sword into the third, forcing it into the stone formation to his right. Looking at the item, Black Star confirmed that it was who he had expected; the silver, well-kept blade, the rectangular, dull-sandy coloured tsuba and the orange-red wrapping around the hilt of the deflected object all pointing to a certain 'Sword God'. Sure enough, as he turned to face the newcomer, his eyes fell upon Mifune, his huge twin sheaths hung over his shoulders, although three swords were missing from the right-most of these, and his third, normal scabbard hung at hip left hip as always, the sword being sheathed into it as he walked over.

"Yo, Mifune, you're late!" Black Star yelled at the man, who chewed on the piece of straw hanging from his mouth, a disinterested look on his face.

"Settle down, Black Star," he said calmly. "I had to make sure Angela was in safe hands before I came here. I must admit, I was a little conflicted about the idea of leaving a witch with a Grim Reaper, but he seems to not mind it."

"Yeah, Lord Death's pretty cool with kids too, Mifune," the assassin nodded. "Anyway, enough about the midget, do you think you can help me train Crona?"

"I can try," the swordsman complied, setting down the large sheaths behind him and stepping forward. "Tell me, what does he know?"

"The basics; you know, thrusting, jabbing, over-head swings."

"What about defensive techniques?" Mifune's eyebrow raised questioningly, and Black Star's blank look told him all he needed to know. "I see, so you taught him about attacking without how to counter an opponent or even how to parry. It's best we start there, else the more advanced techniques will be next to useless in his hands. Now, let's-" The samurai stopped short, spying the sword in Crona's grip. His eyes grew stern and cold. "That blade... So, you wield the Demon Sword known as Ragnorok?"

"Yes?" Crona asked, a slight edge of fear to his voice under the glaring gaze of the Samurai, who abruptly turned on his heel after a brief time.

"Teach him yourself, Black Star," Mifune said finally, his tone cold. "I cannot teach any who wield that blade."

"Wait, Mifune," the assassin said firmly, pressing his left hand to the man's chest and pushing him back. "What the hell are you talking about? Are you saying the 'Sword God' can't deal with a Demon Sword?" Mifune's eyes were stern, but Black Star could see an undertone of sadness about them too.

"Black Star, do you know what happened to Angela's parents?" he asked. The blue-haired boy shook his head. "When I found her, she was alone in that house, bodies and blood everywhere. I had assumed that they had been killed in the crossfire between her untamed powers and the thugs sent to kill her, but there was no sign of them in there. It was not until later that I found out about what had happened;" The samurai paused, looking Black Star in the eye. "They had been slain five years prior to my arrival, by that accursed Weapon." Black Star backed off a little, shocked by this strange news. "_That_, Black Star, is why I cannot teach the wielder of that Weapon; regardless of who wields it, Ragnorok is a Weapon which causes only misery."

"Um, e- excuse me," Crona said, walking forwards, Ragnorok no longer in his hand. Mifune looked down at the boy, eyes still dulled with pain. "I'm sorry for what happened, but Ragnorok has been inside of me for more than five years." Mifune's eyes narrowed at this. "A- And at that time, I was in Medusa's captivity..."

"You're saying that it is not possible?" Crona nodded a little timidly. "I do not believe that, however I do believe that the wielder was not someone of your description. Therefore, I will attempt to teach you, but I will not hesitate to disable you if the need should arise. Do you understand me?" Crona again nodded in agreement with the man. "Good. In that case, I want you to observe myself and Black Star as we spar. Take particular note of how we block and counter attack."

As the swordsman and the assassin locked blades and began to show the young Demon Sword Meister the basics of sword defence, Maka and Soul drifted into the air, using Maka's combat flight form as opposed to the transport state, the pink, feathery wings flapping every-so-often to keep her stable in the air. She gripped Soul tighter in both hands, eyes darting left and right.

"Do you see him, Soul?" she asked, turning around as she heard the air move, but seeing nothing.

"Not yet," her scythe replied. "Take it easy; focus your Soul Perception for him."

"I'm trying, but I can't get him," Maka frowned. "It's almost like he's using a Soul Protect."

Abruptly, the air above them shifted, and Maka looked up at their adversary. Kai stood in the air above them, a pair of dark grey, dragon-like wings with shadowy crimson, leathery panels in them and an ebony, curved spine on the top of each. His right hand had vanished, and in its place was a long, menacing-looking sword blade, the silver glinting venomously as he raised it and swooped downwards on them.

"Here he comes!" Soul informed his Meister.

"I see him!" Maka replied sharply, raising Soul and bring the blade into a collision course with Kai's, sparks flying off of them as they clashed and Kai continued passed them.

The Kishin Weapon turned swiftly in a wide circle and came back around on them, swinging in and opening up the pair to a third strike, which he stopped short, the point just in front of Maka's throat. He backed off a little and sighed.

"Good, but not good enough," he said firmly, his voice adopting a stern tone. "You're not moving when you attack or counter, and that's leaving you open to attacks. If you did that on the ground, you would be dead in no time, and it's no different in the air. Also, you are resonating at too slow a rate to sustain balanced flight in combat, so try to speed it up."

"Hey, it's not easy to speed up resonance all of a sudden from what we're used to," Soul rolled his eye as he responded. "Besides, we're working as hard as we can; our resonance is maxed out."

"At only thirty nine revolutions a second?" Kai questioned. "Stable combat flight requires at least forty five per second, else more powerful moves could destabilise the flight capabilities or create a negative spin on the attack, which would cause a potentially fatal backfire."

"So what the hell are you at?" Soul barked back, becoming angered by Kai's incessant reprimanding of their attempts.

"Forty eight point nine per second," the boy shrugged, touching down on the ground. "This won't work like I was planning, come down for now." The floating pair touched down and Soul transformed back into his human form. "Alright, I can't help you with this until you can increase your resonance rate. What I want you to do is focus on getting your maximum output up by fifteen percent, twenty if you can get it that high." With this said, Kai turned on his heel and walked towards the doorway, hands in his pockets, wings retracting into his shoulders as he went.

"Hey, get back here!" Soul shouted. "Where the hell are you going?"

"To see a certain professor who is clearly not teaching you the right damned syllabus," was Kai's only answer as he left the large doorway and vanished from sight. Maka frowned a little at Soul's behaviour, before then smacking him on the head.

"What the hell was that for?" Soul whined, clutching his head; even without a book, Maka's hand was a lethal weapon in itself.

"Why are you acting like this?" she asked, her tone laced with an undertone of confusion and anger. "This isn't like you."

Soul opened his mouth to reply, but promptly closed it and looked away, hands in his pockets.

"It doesn't matter," he returned, still not looking at her. "Let's just get this training done as soon as we can."

Maka still doubted his words, but it was clear that Soul did not want to tell her what was bothering him, and, having known him as long as she had, Maka knew that his 'coolness' complex and his stubbornness would not let her get through to him any time soon; it was better to persevere with their training and not to pry.

"Fine," she shrugged it off. "Transform into a scythe and match my wavelength."

* * *

><p><em><strong>Shibusen Corridors<strong>_

The sound of plastic discs rolling over the floors emanated off of the walls, a gradually loudening rumble of a fast-moving chair growing closer to the brown-haired boy warned him of the impending arrival of the very person he was looking for. Abruptly, someone burst round the corner, the raised metal rail in the floor colliding with the wheels beneath them and making them tumble to the floor, spinning away from the chair. Kai placed his foot on the back rest of the chair, frowning and shaking his head at the man below him, who was cranking the screw head in his own.

"Seriously, you're still getting around like this?" the boy questioned as an audible click came from the man.

"Of course," Stein replied. "It's much more fun and faster than walking."

"You're such a child."

"Anyway, what brings you here?" Stein's eyes fell upon Kai, a steely seriousness about them.

"Why did you pair me with Soul Eater and Maka Albarn?" Kai replied levelly. "I could understand it if it was advanced battle physics or something like that, but their resonance rate is far too low to maintain aerial combat in an advanced state."

"That is exactly why I did," Stein replied, looking at the ceiling, for he was still sprawled out on his back and on the floor. "I knew that their level of resonance was not high enough, so I thought that you of all people could help improve that level."

"Be that as it may, I need a direct link to emulate a Soul Resonance and improve it," Kai glared. "Besides, it's not permanent in the first place." Something seemed to click into place in Kai's brain. "Wait a minute, what the hell are you doing in the corridors?"

"I am part of the teaching staff at Shibusen," Stein said, standing up and reaching for his chair. "I don't have to answer that question to a student." He gripped the chair and tried to pick it up, but Kai's foot remained in place.

"I'm not a student, dumbass," he growled. "I'm technically a Spartoi member and advisor, which puts me at the same rank as you. Now tell me what you're doing; it's the middle of third period, so you should be in class right now, yet you're moving at high speed towards where the Deathscythe Training Room is, which leads me to believe that it's something important."

Stein was silent, wrenching the chair out of Kai's grip and sitting upon it. He leant over the back of the chair and cranked his screw again, then gestured for Kai to walk beside him. The boy rolled his eyes but did so, using a pair of wings which sprouted behind him to follow instead of his legs, just in case the professor made a run for it.

"I was talking with Lord Death in the Death Room about your little friend," the grey-haired man said, pulling a cigarette out of his lab coat and lighting it as he rolled along the corridor, producing a stream of white smoke behind him. "Azusa-san contacted us a little while ago, she said that there have been issues in East Asia involving a rather high-profile magic tool facility which has been made to rebuild some of the ones which were lost in conflicts with our students. Also, there has been an increase in Madness in Western Europe, and there has been an unusual amount of activity in the Saharan town of Niglesh. Lord Death has ordered that Maka and Soul be dispatched to the European incident, Black Star and Tsubaki to the magic tool facility, and Kid, Liz and Patty to Niglesh to investigate the occurrences there. You are to help Crona train in sword techniques along with that man who Black Star asked to help him."

"I see," Kai nodded. "At least it will be something more worthwhile than this current training." He eyed something in Stein's hand, realising that the man had been holding it the entire time. "What's that?"

"Lord Death also thinks that the Spartoi group should be wearing a uniform to help identify them while out on missions," Stein replied as they entered the training room, ignoring Kai's mutter, which sounded like _'more like paint a bloody bullseye on them'_, and heading into the room itself. "Everyone, get over here now! We have a new assignment!" The group gathered and Stein handed each group a file about their missions, explaining in loose terms what was to happen. "Kai and Crona will stay here and train together while the rest of you complete these missions, so be sure to finish them as quickly as possible. One last thing," Stein opened the item in his hand, a fairly small black case, with Lord Death's emblem printed onto it. "You are expected to wear these uniforms at all times now to show that you are part of the elite which is Spartoi." He lifted out a cellophane-bound bundle from the case to show the uniforms to everyone.

The group stared at the item in Stein's hands and gaped. Soul, however, just frowned at the item, a sentence forming inside his head and quickly coming out of his mouth, the six words breaking the silence left by the arrival of the garments;

"You've got to be kidding me."

* * *

><p><em>Ok, this took quite a while, as I have been trying to meet a deadline for my electronics coursework, so I'll apologise for that now.<em>

_Hope there's enough apprehension about this story;; it doesn't seem to be getting very much attention, but that may be paranoia on my part._

_Anyway, as always, any reviews are accepted and taken with much gratitude, and I will try to post again soon._

_Also, it is my sister's birthday soon (14th March), so there may be delays caused by this time frame, but I will try my best to get the next chapter ready and posted as soon as possible._


	7. New Look for Spartoi

**Spoilers:**_ after the Anime and sort of from Manga chapter 62/3. You have been warnied._

**Warning(s): **_Possible swearing, mild/medium gore level potential, fluff._

**Pairing(s): **_SoMa, possibly some TsuStar and/or KidxLizxPatty_

**Brief: **_With the Kishin defeated, what new threats will rise up to face the heroes from Shibusen? Will Kid's words of warning when the Kishin was killed come true sooner than they thought? And can the Madness be eliminated completely before it consumes the world?_

**Disclaimer: **_Atsushi Okubo owns Soul Eater, not me._

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Seven: New Look for Spartoi; Missions around the Globe?<strong>

Maka straightened and smoothed her new skirt down before looking herself over. She had to admit, she had been meaning to change her usual mission uniform, seeing as how her attire had become noticeably tighter in recent months, and the new Spartoi uniform looked impressive.

The young Meister was stood in the female changing rooms across the corridor from the Deathscythe Training Room, wearing a blue undershirt, a white button-up blouse with a blue sailor uniform collar with a white stripe, a red tie which featured an unusual twisted pink tip, a blue skirt and black tights beneath it. She still wore her white gloves from before, along with a pair of comfortable pair of white shoes with a gold band about the ankle, and there was also a white overcoat, the cuffs of which were adorned with the same twists as the tie, though these remained the same colour as the coat itself, but she had not put it on because of the heat in Nevada. Maka smiled at her reflection, satisfied with the new uniform.

She turned as one of the closed doors behind her opened, revealing a rather pleased looking Tsubaki. As with Maka's uniform, the blues and whites remained a key feature in the older girl's uniform, but her nature as an assassin's dark-arm Weapon also made black an important incorporation in the styling. Tsubaki wore a form-fitting sleeveless shirt which buttoned up the front and was tucked into a pair of dark blue short-shorts, differing from the dark-arm's usual, more traditional clothing choice. The black-haired girl also wore a pair of black thigh-high socks, the left of which twisted around her leg instead of covering the entire leg, coating the ankle, knee and the top of her thigh in the item while leaving most of the remaining leg exposed, and a pair of black gloves which went high up her arms and were covered in a long white bandage each, hiding the gloves beneath except for slithers about the elbows. The new attire was finished off with a black scarf wrapped loosely around Tsubaki's neck. Maka looked between Tsubaki's uniform and her own and smirked slightly, getting a confused look from her friend.

"What is it, Maka?" she asked as the blonde Meister giggled slightly.

"Sorry, Tsubaki," she managed between laughs. "I just can't help but wonder who's going to ruin their uniform with all this white."

Tsubaki smiled sheepishly, knowing that both of them knew Black Star was in high contention for this competition. However, the two of them were cut off by a boisterous shout from the remaining two doors in the changing room, announcing the appearance of the Thompson sisters.

"These are soo cool, sis!" Patty's childish shout said. "Giraffe likes them!"

"Yeah, they're pretty good," Liz agreed, taking her younger sister's actions in stride.

The sisters were wearing very similar uniforms; both wore a blue undershirt and a white blouse, much like Maka's uniform, both wore a short, long-sleeved white jacket, which they had decided to do up at the front, and the standard issue shoes and a pair of socks, both of which were in white. However, while Liz wore a blue skirt to finish her uniform, Patty had a pair of blue baggy-legged short-shorts, and the younger sister also had a black hat with a pair of flaps covering her ears. The Thompsons walked forward and joined the other girls, the atmosphere in the changing room jovial as a whole. They talked for an age before a loud shout in the corridor drew their attention and had them move slowly outside.

"The great Black Star demands to know what this mockery is!" the assassin's yells filled the school's towering corridors while he shouted at a rather bemused Kai.

"What the hell are you talking about?" he asked. "And get that bloody fire extinguisher out of my face, you arse!"

"Your almighty god will not bow to the requests of peasants!"

"Black Star, perhaps it is wise to stop this now," Kid pointed out, his eye twitching. "And for the sake of symmetry, put down the fire extinguisher!"

"He's right, Black Star, this is getting uncool," Soul put in. The girls exchanged confused looks before hearing the hiss of the extinguisher going off. Soul sighed as Kai wiped the foam from his face, a look of annoyance on his face. "I take it back, that was totally uncool."

"You're dead, you little bastard!" Kai shouted, his hands and forearms becoming scaled and clawed in his fury.

"Ha! Your god accepts your challenge, foolish mortal!" Black Star boasted, getting ready to fight just as his Weapon got between him and his opponent.

"Black Star, maybe you should rethink this," she pleaded. "After all, Professor Stein said he would suspend you if you had another fight in the corridors." Looking Tsubaki in the eyes, Black Star nodded, and backed down, easing his pose. Tsubaki smiled gratefully and breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

"No sweat," Black Star shrugged, thrusting his hands in his pockets.

Now that he was stood still, the groups could see his uniform. Black Star was wearing a white zip-up, sleeveless top with a long white scarf around his neck, a pair of blue trousers with the end of the legs and a pair of black shoes. His hands, wrists and lower legs were bound in white bandages, and another acted as makeshift belt around the waist of his trousers. The uniform was simple, but the contrast with his usual flamboyancy was a refreshing change for the group.

"Thank you for making Black Star think rationally, Tsubaki," Kid said graciously. "I appreciate it."

"It's fine, Kid," Tsubaki replied with a smile. Liz, Patty and the Dark-Arm all turned their attention to Kid now.

Like Black Star, he wore a pair of navy blue trousers, but he wore a more formal uniform on top, consisting of a black tie around the collar of a white dress shirt and a white jacket over them both, the Spartoi insignia on his back in a large image which covered his shoulder blades and the upper back. Soul stepped out behind Kid, revealing that his uniform was almost completely the same as Kid's apart from the addition of a white belt and his jacket was more military in styling with the Spartoi logo on the left shoulder instead of the back. The logo and 'EAT' stamp from his headband were on the right arm, the latter beneath the former. Soul's hair was also held out of his eyes by the same black hair band as before. He caught Maka in his gaze and grinned lopsidedly as he walked over to his Meister.

"Not bad," he complimented. Maka blushed a little, smiling.

"You don't look so bad yourself," she replied teasingly. Soul's grin widened as he raised a hand to his tie and tightened the knot slightly.

"It's not the best uniform," he noted as he played with the knot. "But I make it look cool." Maka could not help but giggle at his coolness complex. She looked around, realising that someone was missing.

"Hey, where's Crona?" Maka asked, looking around.

"I think I might know," Kai replied, swiftly sidestepping to reveal a shaking Meister who had been hiding behind him.

All eyes fell on the two latest members of Spartoi. Crona wore a uniform like Soul and Kid's, but the jacket was black and featured a pair of silver twin-cuffs, much like the pink-haired Meister's original clothing, and was detailed with silver skull buttons. Another difference with Crona's uniform was the thick white gloves which went over his hands and a short way passed his wrists.

Kai, on the other hand, looked much different to the others. The only similarities were the jacket he wore, which was much like Soul's, and the presence Spartoi logo on the left shoulder. Passed this, however, the jacket was made of pitch black leather with a blood red interior trim, and sported a trio of silver spikes on each shoulder, along with the word 'advisor' in block gold letters on the back with an image of Lord Death's mask beneath it in white. The shirt was also black, and the tie around his neck was the same blood red of his coat's trim, but did not follow the same pattern as the other ties, this one being a regular, pointed-tipped tie. His trousers were more like combat trousers than the others', the black clothing held up by a black leather belt with a silver skull on the belt buckle. The whole thing was topped off by Kai's previous black military-style boots and a pair of black fingerless gloves with a red mid-section on the back of the hands.

Crona looked up briefly, then bashfully ducked back behind Kai. The Kishin Weapon frowned and jerked a thumb behind him.

"Uh, is he always like this?" he asked, confused by the reaction. Maka giggled and walked over.

"Yeah, Crona's a little shy sometimes," she shrugged, taking the Meister's hand and dragging him into the open. "Come on, Crona, let's have a look at you." Crona blushed a little and looked away.

"I've never had a uniform before," he explained. "I'm not sure how to deal with this."

A mass of black liquid appeared out of Crona's back, taking the shape of the small Ragnorok, his cartoonish shape and crossed pupils rolling around the group before growling.

"Dammit!" he cursed, punching Crona's head in fury. "How come I've been left out again?"

"Try because you don't wear anything," Soul shrugged. "Besides, you aren't exactly around very often, so it's not like you need something you'd leave when you disperse." Ragnorok glared but said nothing. Kai looked at the creature with a familial glaze in his eyes.

"The Demon Sword Ragnorok, I take it?" he said. The spirit turned his gaze to Kai.

"Who wants to-" the black-fleshed creature stopped short, sensing the shift in Kai's energy. "Ah, so that's who. Nice to finally meet my extended family."

"Likewise," Kai nodded. "I've heard a lot about you... What the hell happened to you?" Ragnorok pointed at Maka and Kai got the gist. "I see. Well, when they made me, they made sure a Soul Exorcism Wavelength wouldn't hit me like that." The two of them turned to the others, realising their confused looks. Maka broke the silence.

"What do you mean 'meet your extended family'?" she asked.

"Ah, technically I am the extended line from the research into Ragnorok," Kai replied casually. "I don't understand the precise facts, but apparently I have an updated version of the Black Blood in my system, which probably accounts for my heightened resonance sensitivity, called Kishin Blood." Soul frowned now.

"Kishin Blood?" he asked. "Is that what makes you a Kishin Weapon?"

"That's right," Kai nodded. "If Ragnorok were reforged in it, or a standard Weapon or Deathscythe were exposed excessively to it, the Kishin Blood would make them into a Kishin Weapon. But, as far as I know, the stockpile of it was destroyed in the raid Kami Albarn led, so it shouldn't be possible to do any more."

Soul felt somewhat relieved of this, wondering if such as thing could be used as a weapon against the Black Blood in his veins, or if it would affect Maka when they resonate, but even so, it was an unsettling development. However, before he could press the matter further, Stein rolled into the midst of the group.

"Oh, good, you're all ready, I see," he stated. "It is about time you all set off on your missions. Kid, Liz, Patty, you will need to use Beelzebub to get as close to Niglesh as possible, but it seems that the village has an interference field around it, meaning that the last leg must be made on foot. Black Star, Tsubaki, since your training in sustaining flight, you will need to make your way to the East Sector of Death City and travel via the airport to the nearest airport to the Magic Tool Facility. Maka, Soul, since you are able to fly using sustained resonance, you will use this ability to go to England and hunt down the source of the Madness in the area. Kai, Crona, you two should return to the training room and begin your training as soon as possible."

As the group parted and left, Maka stopped Kai briefly, a perplexed look on her face. Kai looked down at the young Meister, confused.

"Tell me," she said. "Why was Black Star shouting at you?"

"Oh, that," Kai half grunted, looking away. "The little baboon was shouting something about my use of black while the standard uniform is white. Honestly, how do you put up with such an ignorant imbecile?" Maka giggled.

"Yeah, he is a bit of a handful," she agreed before they parted.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Training Room<strong>_

"I don't know about your methods, Mifune," Kai said to the Samurai, having been introduced. "But I think you might do better as a teacher to teach Crona using a single sword. With that said, since Ragnorok is a Demon Sword, it may be better to wield me, seeing as how my Kishin Sword status would match it in power." Mifune narrowed his eyes slightly, uncertain whether to trust such a judgement, but he soon acknowledged with a nod. He sheathed his sword and held a hand out to his side.

"In that case, transform," he said bluntly.

Kai's entire body illuminated a deep red as he jumped towards Mifune's hand with a somersault, his shape twisting before solidifying in his grip. The hilt of Kai's Weapon state was like a standard sword, able to have two hands on it and bore a black binding with a crimson end. The blade was a dark, gun-metal silver with a double-edge to it, but this, too, was fairly normal. The different thing about it was the guard, in the sense that it was absent altogether. In its place was an ebony dragon's head, featuring a slender snout, a wide, spiked plume and a pair of scarlet eyes, the wide blade protruding from the mouth and the grip from the plumage. Mifune looked at the sword and raised it to his eyes, looking the Kishin Weapon in the eye.

"I'm not sure if you can hear me," he said. "But you will need to balance your wavelength with mine since I'm not a Meister." The dragon's eyes rolled and fell into an unimpressed look.

"You don't have to tell me, I already am modulating my wavelength," Kai replied in deadpan. "Besides, just because I'm a sword doesn't mean I can't hear things, genius."

"Hm, so this your Weapon form, eh, cuz?" Ragnorok's voice spoke from the sword in Crona's hand. "Impressive what time can do."

"Enough regarding my form," Kai replied. "Let's get this going!"

Mifune lunged, feeling an impulse pull from his right hand and egging him on. Crona raised Ragnorok, running forward too, the sword tightly caught within his twin handed grip as he swung in on the Samurai. Mifine dodged left, evading the sword's tip by a hair's breadth, then swung with the Kishin Weapon in his hand, meeting Crona's sword in a well-timed block. The pink-haired boy swung his blade outward to release the swords and thrust forwards, catching the swordsman across the left shoulder in a light graze. He followed with another rapid strike, then another and another, the swings powerful and precise, but not meeting Mifune's flesh. However, despite the way he was coping with the strikes, Mifune could not counter with such a short opening between strikes.

_Now,_ Mifune heard Kai say, and his hand obeyed, thrusting out and knocking the sword from Crona's hand.

The blade turned to liquid and reformed in Crona's grip as it struck the floor, but the opening had been left, allowing Mifune to pouch in with another powerful, trained swing, this one blocked by Crona's forearm as he solidified the Black Blood in his veins like armour. However, he was on the back foot, having to defend as Mifune swung mercilessly this way and that, blow after blow glancing off of each Weapon. Then, without Crona realising, he was at the back wall of the training area. He looked back, surprised, and missed the movement Mifune made with his sword. With a slightly laboured effort, the blade pierced his flesh. The wound was not too deep, but blood abruptly poured out of the nick in Crona's abdomen. Instantly, Kai transformed again, his right hand tipped with blood.

"Shit, what happened?" he asked, looking between them. Crona's hand had released the sword and clutched the wound in his stomach tightly. Ragnorok appeared from the boy's back, regarding Kai with shocked surprise.

"How the hell did you get through the Black Blood?" the Demon Sword asked. "I had hardened it as much as it went; no Weapon should get through it without resonating with a Meister."

"Don't apply that rule to Kishin Weapons; there is a frequency I can reach through self resonance which can pierce Black Blood with enough force behind it." Kai's eyes fell upon Crona. "You ok, Crona?"

"I'm fine," Crona nodded shakily, remembering when Medusa had run him through with her Vector Blade. "It's just a shock."

"I think we'll call it quits today," Kai said. "Let's-"

"No," Crona said firmly, his wound sealed and his sword back in hand. "Please, let's continue. I want to be stronger..." The Kishin Weapon blinked then smirked.

"Alright then," he said, transforming again. "But I won't hold back."

"It would be pointless if you did," Crona replied resolutely, readying himself for further sparring.

* * *

><p><em>Yeah, not much to say, except that I'm sorry for the delay.<em>

_Let me know what you want to see in future or what I'm doing well/bad._

_Bye._


	8. Battle the Madness

**Spoilers:**_ after the Anime and sort of from Manga chapter 62/3. You have been warnied._

**Warning(s): **_Possible swearing, mild/medium gore level potential, fluff._

**Pairing(s): **_SoMa, possibly some TsuStar and/or KidxLizxPatty_

**Brief: **_With the Kishin defeated, what new threats will rise up to face the heroes from Shibusen? Will Kid's words of warning when the Kishin was killed come true sooner than they thought? And can the Madness be eliminated completely before it consumes the world?_

**Disclaimer: **_Atsushi Okubo owns Soul Eater, not me._

_**A/N: **__Sorry about the delays to this, guys and girls. If you read my Bleach story Darkest Side of Me, you will already know that I have been held up by exams, which are now done with for me. Sorry again, but it was something which had to be done, monotonous and crappy as it was. Now, I hope you enjoy this update :)_

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><p><strong>Chapter Eight: Battle the Madness; A Dark Truth Revealed?<strong>

_**England**_

The quiet night was broken only by the sound of the air rushing passed for the young Meister and her Weapon. Soul gazed down at the streets beneath them as they headed for the source of the madness in the area. It was unusual to see his homeland from the sky, especially after how long it had been since he had last been there. Considering how cold it was compared to Death City, he noticed that Maka seemed to be showing no signs of feeling the chill.

"Are you sure this is the place, Maka?" he asked plainly after a short while. They had been flying over the small town and the surrounding area for almost half an hour, yet they had found nothing. Maka huffed from her position atop Soul's Weapon form.

"Of course I am, Soul," she replied. "It's not easy to find this thing; the displacement of the wavelength is chaotic and all over the place; it's as if it lingers where it touches."

"Whatever," Soul rolled his eyes. "Can we stop flying around aimlessly? If we do find who or what ever is causing it, we'll be too tired to fight them if we keep this up."

"You have a point," Maka conceded, her feet lowered to the rough ground of a country road. Maka stepped her left leg over Soul's handle and swung him upright again. "You might as well change back for now."

"Alright," the scythe nodded, glowing blue and changing back into his human form. He stretched a little, then shoved his hands into his pockets. "So, which way is the Madness strongest?"

"Over here," Maka replied, leading Soul by a couple of paces, her twin-tailed trench coat swaying behind her as she moved.

Soul eyed his Meister from behind, silently admiring her form in her uniform, and not for the first time; the journey had been long, and he had managed to steal a few glances at Maka, her clothes and hair wind-swept as they glided over the sea. He had been almost saddened that her old uniform was gone, missing the tighter attire slightly, but he had quickly been swayed when he noticed how the new clothes made her look more grown-up and accentuated her figure discreetly. He could not see Maka's face, who suspected that someone was watching her, as she smiled deviously. It made her feel good to be looked at by Soul when he thought she had no idea, and felt the need to snap her Weapon out of his trance.

"Soul," she said, her tone of mock irritation, something she pulled off very convincingly. "I swear, if you don't stop staring at my butt, I'm going to Maka-Chop you into the ground."

"Pft," Soul replied, looking away and repressing a blush, though Maka never turned to him. "As if a cool guy like me would want to stare at you. You must be imagining things."

Maka was about to snap something back, but the wavelength she was tracking shifted abruptly. Her eyes widened as she came to a stop. They had walked into a forested area around the country lane, the road giving way to a worn and tired-looking stone foot bridge over a fast-flowing river a few feet before them. Over the bridge, the grassy verge and the beaten path veered upwards sharply into a hill. No one was visible on the hillside, but the sensation of Madness felt strongest there. The wind blew, rippling the grass blades covering the hill as the two watched it. Despite being unable to sense souls and not being in resonance with Maka, Soul could feel the Madness reacting with his Black Blood, stirring the source of his own Madness.

The grass rippled like the surface of a pond when a stone is thrown into it, the circular waves extending outwards further and further as they grew stronger. Something began to rise from the centre of the ripples, a head shrouded in dark liquid which slowly peeled and fell away as it rose up. Maka tensed as the being stepped out of the ground, resisting the urge to be sick at what she saw. The creature, whatever it was, was a disfigured mess to put it nicely; the twisted and tangled-up body looked to be a work of many bodies twisted tightly into one like a rope, the multi-shaded abdomen flaring out into an over-sized torso. The arms were mismatched; the left one thin and gangly, ending in a clawed, humanoid hand, the right bulkier and covered in a sickle-like blade from the mid-upper arm down, overlapping a small right hand by almost a foot. The lower body was just as much a mangled mess as the rest of the body; the hips were too narrow and should have meant that it could not stay upright, though this was not the case. Furthermore, the legs were spindly and looked pathetically weak, ending with a spine, acting like a hoof for each leg. Finally, Maka saw it; the disfigured head mounted on an unnaturally lengthy neck. The face seemed to be hidden behind a porcelain mask of sorts, and the head hidden beneath a strange crescent-shaped hat of sorts. The features of the mask were simplistic and looked to be the work of an inexperienced craftsman; the eyes were mismatched, the right eye a single circular opening, the left a hastily hacked-out slash in the face above the cheekbone, though a second, shallow scar went vertically through it toward the ear, the nose a red bulb protruding like a wart from the face, and the mouth had no lips, revealing off-coloured but otherwise normal teeth. The disfigured and deranged-looking creature moved forward towards them, lumbering to the foot of the bridge and stopping on it's side before it. Maka and Soul moved to the opposite edge of the bridge, Maka watching the creature intently while Soul glared at it to hide his unease from the sensation.

"Who are you?" Maka asked clearly and firmly, her voice harbouring a great authority. The creature cocked it's head, as if telling her to introduce herself first. "I'm Maka Albarn, three star Scythe Meister, and this is my Deathscythe, Soul Eater. Now answer me, who are you?"

"Foolish child," the thing spoke. It's voice was fairly harsh and a little mechanical in sound, like rusty cogs grinding against one another in a worn out machine. "The question you should be asking is not _who_ am I, but _what_ am I. Is it not obvious that I am neither human nor Weapon or Meister?"

"What does that make you, then?" Soul growled. "A witch? A Kishin?"

"Oh no, my dear scythe," the creature sighed. "Allow me to clarify; there's a terror that can't be seen. It lurks in the shadows, following you and driving you insane, yet every time you look, it has disappeared. I am a terror that can be seen, and that can be just as terrifying as that which cannot be seen."

"What are you talking about?" Soul was beginning to get frustrated by this being.

"I am the existence which surpasses the Kishin Asura, the very tool he used to hide his weakness from the world. I am Madness Incarnate, but I am known by most as the Clown."

"What are you doing here?" Maka asked, seemingly unfazed by the Clown's words, though Soul could feel her wavelength shift warily. "You are in Shibusen controlled territory, spreading Madness throughout the area. We have come on behalf of Spartoi to take your soul."

"I see," the Clown nodded, grinning maniacally. "Those are big words for such a small Meister. We'll see if you can back up your claims with your actions, though, have no fear."

Before she could react, Maka felt a searing pain in her side. The Clown had lunged, catching her off-guard and cutting into her right side with it's claws, lopping off a segment of her coat and leaving a set of crimson stains in the remnants and her blouse. The Meister winced and held her wound to stem the flow of blood. The Clown swung it's right arm, attempting to cut her again, but her body was impacted by Soul's as he blocked the attack and was forced back under the force, his right forearm edged with a blade. Both students skidded to a halt and Soul turned to Maka, concern in his eyes.

"Can you fight, Maka?" he asked, keeping up his guard. Maka ripped off her coat and tore the sleeves off, tying them around her middle to apply pressure to her wounded abdomen.

"Of course," Maka nodded. "It's just a scratch, that's all." Soul grinned.

"Good. Let's go then!"

The Weapon transformed again, becoming the simple yet eccentric scythe once more. Maka gripped the metal staff and spun Soul, focussing her soul on his and meshing their wavelengths. With focus on the job at hand evident in her eyes, Maka tightened her grip on Soul's handle with both hands and took up a defensive stance. She knew this would leave her on the back foot, but lunging into the attack against an enemy of unknown skill would be suicidal, leaving this as her best option. The Clown made no movement to attack for a moment or two, then clasped it's red nose between two fingers and pulled it away, the extremity coming away with ease and instantaneously replaced by another. Maka blinked as the Clown threw the nose at the Scythe Meister and her Deathscythe, but quickly recovered, swinging Soul so that the flat of his blade took the hit and rebounded the nose away. The discarded body part smashed through a tree, struck the bridge, causing a large crack in the floor of it, and bounced back towards the Clown. The creature grinned and leaned to evade without looking, watching as the nose neared the young Weapon and Meister pair. Maka swung again, but was taken by surprise as the Clown gave a simple command to the air and poked the tip of it's existing nose.

"Activate," it said, the nose on it's face lighting up red.

The nose illuminated an intense orange and started to whine slightly as it came nearer to Soul's blade as it swung in to intercept. Just short of hitting the blade, the nose nose abruptly exploded, the forceful, fiery ball which came from it singing Maka's clothes in place and charring Soul's golden binding a little. The eye in the binding clenched shut and Soul yelped at the sudden attack. The partners skidded back from the force, allowing Maka to check on Soul.

"Are you ok, Soul?" she asked. His reflection appeared in his blade, revealing that he too was slightly singed by the attack.

"I'm fine," he grunted. "That was a dirty trick... This Clown's really starting to bug me."

"Then let's finish him off quickly," Maka said firmly. Soul nodded, knowing what she meant.

"Let's go! Soul Resonance!" they shouted together, their wavelengths merging and synchronising.

Soul's blade lit up blue and grew massively, becoming the double-bladed scythe of Witch Hunter but with the binding shining in gold and the eye at the centre shimmering red. Maka took in these changes and smiled slightly. The new resonance form suited Soul perfectly.

"Witch Hunter!" Maka yelled, running at the Clown with the Weapon in her hands primed.

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><p><em><strong>Sahara Desert<strong>_

The sandy landscape flew by beneath the skateboard as it hovered over under it's master's orders. The cloaked figure atop the board gazed out as the plains began to give way to the sight of a rather tall dune, the golden irises under the mask he was wearing lighting up slightly.

"Kid," a metallic voice whined. "Are we almost there?"

"I can see the edge of the field around Niglesh now," Kid replied. "We'll have to go by foot in a moment, girls."

"Great," Liz's voice sounded significantly more relieved than before. "Spending this much time in Weapon form kills my back."

"Hot..." Patty whimpered.

"Here we are," Kid announced, touching down on the verge of the sand dune surrounding Niglesh. Beelzebub spluttered out and dispersed into Kid's hand as the field cancelled it out. He eyed the village before them, releasing his pistols and allowing the sisters to transform. "Well, it seems to be a nice enough place."

"Yeah," Liz nodded, stretching herself out to rid the irritating aches in her body. "But it doesn't really look all that advanced; what's causing the interference field?"

"That is one of the things we're here to find out," Kid replied plainly. "Father was saying that there has been a high amount of movement of unknown intent in Niglesh, suspected to be the work of witches. Now, let's get to the bottom of this and get out of this desert."

"Hot..." Patty whimpered again, though her tone implied she agreed with the plan.

The trio reached Niglesh quickly and found themselves in a fairly quiet town. The buildings all had torn draperies and cloth overhangs hung off of them as if mauled by wild animals, and some had chunks of stone dislodged from their walls. The shade the buildings cast over the streets was much needed for the Thompson sisters, and even Kid was pleasantly pleased with it, removing his hood and mask and allowing the cool air to embrace his skin. His golden irises passed over the streets as they walked until a voice caught them off-guard.

"Hey!" the rough voice barked. "You fellas new here?"

Kid turned to face the owner of the voice; a man in a street-side shop. The man had dark skin and somewhat unkept dark hair. His face was stubbly from a lack of shaving, though it was clear he had shaved in previous weeks, and his clothes, though they appeared they should be vibrant in colour, were rather dull and faded, even ripped in places. Kid suppressed the need to amend the man's symmetry and cleared his throat.

"We are from Shibusen," he corrected. "My name is Death the Kid, three star Twin Pistol Meister. These are my Weapons, Liz and Patty Thompson." Both Weapons nodded to the man, whose face lit up at this.

"You must be here for our 'incidents', right?" the man asked. Kid said nothing, but the man went on anyway. "I am Agni Kadar, humble shop owner. Please, come in. We have much to discuss, and you look as though you could do with a drink."

Kid was hesitant, but this man, Agni, seemed to have noble intention, plus the promise of a drink had the overheated Patty in a stupor of longing. He nodded with a courteous 'thank you' and led his Weapons inside. Agni set down three bottles of water for the travellers and all of them sat around a small table in the back of the shop. The room was sparsely furnished with only the table and a few chairs, but it was pleasant.

"Tell us about these 'incidents' you spoke of," Kid said calmly, ignoring Patty as she guzzled her water down.

"It all started a few moons ago," Agni began to explain. "People came running into the streets, screaming of torture and pain which could not be found. By the morning, they were dead in the streets, their innards torn out and their bones broken." Kid cocked his head at this bizarre incident. "If it helps, I have seen one of them up close; they had some sort of burn on their hand and a black substance seemed to be leaking from it. On top of that, their eyes were heavily contracted, I think they may have been fully constricted even though they were in the dark."

Kid started to think. _Constricted pupils, a black substance on the skin and a burn on contact with this substance... This sounds like the effects of Black Blood, but why would it burn the person it touches... I'll have to investigate this; if Black Blood is allowed to stay here, our enemies may get wind of it and turn it against us._

"You say this has happened for the last few days?" Kid asked Agni, still fully in thought.

"Closer to a week now," Agni amended.

"And has anything changed around that time?"

"Well," Agni hesitated, thinking about this. "There was that strange ruin they uncovered a few days before this started." Kid's interest was piqued.

"What ruin?" he asked. "Could you take us there?" Agni nodded and stood. Kid rose to his feet too. "Girls, we have a ruin to investigate." As they walked out of the building, Liz shuddered beside her Meister.

"Great," she whined. "A ruin which will probably be full of monsters and ghosts..."

"Sis is scared!" Patty yelled between boisterous laughs. Kid sighed and rubbed his temples.

"Cut it out, Patty," he said softly before turning to Liz. "There's nothing to worry about; as long as I am here, I won't let anything harm you," He looked at Patty, who had stopped laughing and now stared at Kid as they walked. "Either of you."

Liz and Patty both smiled at their Meister, knowing he was becoming more and more responsible, developing the traits of the Grim Reaper who would be needed to look after Death City when Lord Death finally stepped down. They took pride in this as they approached the strange temple at the heart of the incidents.

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><p><em><strong>England<strong>_

Maka and Soul lunged, the former swinging the latter with great force into the Clown before her, but it caught Soul's handle in it's blade, which had opened like a pair of jaws. It clamped down and Soul cried out in shock and pain, but he quickly snapped out of it, gritting his teeth.

"Maka!" he shouted. "Do it now!"

"Right!" she replied with a nod, bringing Soul downward and impaling the Clown's legs on the glowing blade. Unable to run, the Clown took the next attack full on to the chest as Maka punched it, her Soul Wavelength lashing out at the creature. It roared as she release a Soul Force, letting go of Soul and wrenching it's leg free of the blade, leaving half still on it. "Are you alright, Soul?"

"I'm fine, Maka," Soul replied, shaking it off. "Don't let him recover, hit him with everything we've got!"

"You got it!" Maka said, swinging Soul again in a downward arc. "Figure Six Hunter!" The blade tore into the fiend, causing a spray of black out of the wound in it's chest and abdomen. Maka's grip changed, shifting her right hand back to gain extra leverage. "Letter 'U' Hunter!" Again the strike ruptured the Clown's body, but this time the spray of blood never came. Soul's blade dripped with blood, yet it had not sprayed out of the Clown. "What the-"

"Bloody Slicer!" the Clown shouted out, releasing a dense blade of blood at Maka, who raised Soul to block. The blade struck but turning to liquid on contact, spraying Maka in it and coating the floor too. "Now you're mine, girl. Bloody Needle!"

Maka screamed in pain as the blood on her arms and stomach became jagged and pierced her flesh. She jumped away in time to dodge the pool on the floor, tearing the needles out with her left hand and ignoring her injuries.

"Dammit," Soul growled. "He's got the same abilities as Crona with his blood."

"I noticed," Maka replied. One of the needles had grazed the left side of her face, a trail of blood surged down from the shallow cut, barely missing her eye. "At this rate, we won't be able to make it."

"Then stop using Witch Hunter," Soul said firmly. "Let's step it up!"

"We don't even know if we can still use _that_ since you ate your demon," Maka chided. Inside his Black Room, Soul clicked his tongue.

"I can still get to the Black Piano," he told his Meister. "Maybe I can still use it." Maka sighed audibly; they had no real choice.

"Alright," she relented. "But if this fails, you had better not blame me!"

"Like I would do that," Soul responded with a grin as he sat on the stool and lifted the lid off of the dusty keys. "How uncool do you think I am?"

Even Maka was grinning now. She closed her eyes and waited for Soul's dark melody to guide them into the battle again.

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><p><em>Sorry this update took forever, guys and girls.<em>

_I've been a little busy with exams, but they're dealt with now, so I'm back in the game._

_Anyway, not much else to say but read and review; I like feedback :)_


	9. Root of Darkness

**Spoilers:**_ after the Anime and sort of from Manga chapter 62/3. You have been warnied._

**Warning(s): **_Possible swearing, mild/medium gore level potential, fluff._

**Pairing(s): **_SoMa, possibly some TsuStar and/or KidxLizxPatty_

**Brief: **_With the Kishin defeated, what new threats will rise up to face the heroes from Shibusen? Will Kid's words of warning when the Kishin was killed come true sooner than they thought? And can the Madness be eliminated completely before it consumes the world?_

**Disclaimer: **_Atsushi Okubo owns Soul Eater, not me._

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><p><strong>Chapter Nine: Root of Darkness; Kid's findings?<strong>

**Japan, East of Mount Fuji**

The building concealed within the mountains bustled with activity as materials and manpower were transported in and out of the compound. The cuboid of stone and steel housed a pillar jutting from the centre of the complex, a glass dome holding the lower portion as it reached all the way down the base of the building. Every now and then, a lick of flame or a burst of red magic illuminated the tip of the pillar. The watchful Meister and Weapon deduced that this was a chimney of sorts for the magic forge where the prototype magic tools were being made.

"Tsubaki," Black Star spoke in hushed tones to the Dark Arm. "What were the instructions we were given by Professor Stein?"

"We are to observe the facility," the young woman replied. "And then deduce whether there is any need to take direct action on it. We are not meant to attempt anything until Lord Death has been informed and decided what to do."

"Right," he nodded. "In that case, we had better get a closer look. I want you to go into Ninja Sword mode; the extra speed should help us view the compound using Speed Star."

"Alright," Tsubaki nodded, her body glowing yellow before changing into the short blade. Black Star gripped her form tightly and dashed off, extending his speed to allow him to clear the gap to the compounds main building. "Remember, Black Star, still your breath and suppress your presence."

"I got it," the assassin agreed, peering into the window he was crouched alongside.

Below, he could see a large furnace which had many different coloured materials and various souls being placed inside it. The attendant wore a white lab-coat with black boots, metal gauntlets and gas mask with a tinted visor over the eyes. The mask appeared to be melded to the flesh some how. From his vantage point, Black Star's keen sense of hearing could make out the words being spoken as a fairly short person in a black and green witches costume came over to the attendant. The hat was styled like a wolves head with green eyes, and an ebony and green wolf pelt hung over their shoulders.

"How is the progress on Project Omega?" she asked, her features hidden beneath her hat. The man's words were muffled, but echoed slightly over the walls, making it easier to hear him.

"Well, my lady," he responded. "The device has entered the final stage of production. The latest batch of souls for the fusion chamber have been added, and their supreme power will be enough to complete it."

"Excellent," the witch nodded. "See to it that the fusion finalises successfully; remember that Omega is highly sensitive, and a loss of temperature or soul power, or an increase of these, could cause it damage. If that happens, it will mean three years of painstaking work wasted. I will not be pleased if you fail me, Donavan."

"I understand, lady Archinine," he bowed. "I shall use all my power to protect it and ensure that it does not fall into the wrong hands."

The witch nodded once more and moved out of the room. Black Star backed away, considering what he had just heard.

"Did you hear that, Tsubaki?" he asked. Tsubaki nodded, her reflection evident in the blade of the weapon. "We can't let that device be finished; it could cause a great deal of damage in the witches hands."

"Black Star, we cannot act rashly," Tsubaki reminded him. "We don't even know what it does; acting now is reckless. We should gather more intel and report back to Lord Death and Professor Stein."

"That will take too long," he replied. "If we do that, they can finish the device and be off with it before we even mobilise. No, we have to strike now while we have the chance. Now, smoke bomb mode."

"Right," Tsubaki relented, changing into the large, spherical grenade.

Black Star kicked the window, smashing the pane before throwing Tsubaki into the room below. The attendant, Donavan, looked up as the bomb entered the room, producing a cloud of thick grey smoke throughout and blocking his vision. He quickly moved in the direction of the forge to defend the device enclosed within it. He did not hear Black Star land in the midst of the smoke, nor did he see him as he approached, ready to punch the man in the temple and knock him out.

"What do you think you're doing?" Donavan asked as Black Star's fist came racing towards him. Without fail, he raised his hand and pushed the strike aside, aiming one of his own at Black Star with blinding precision, almost hitting him in the face. "Why are you creeping around as if I cannot see you?"

"Damn," Black Star cursed. "He can see through the smoke. In that case, Tsubaki, Enchanted Sword mode!"

The smoke shifted, whirling around Black Star's waiting right hand, taking on the swords shape quickly. The assassin focussed his wavelength, resonating with Tsubaki in an instant and causing black shadows to coil around the Meister like flames.

"Shadow Star," he ordered. "First state; Bladed Night."

The shadows whipped around ferally as Black Star gave the command. He moved forward, swinging the blade in his hand slightly, making the shadows whip at the man before him. The shadows sharpened like knives as they swung at him, cutting his upper arms and bouncing off of the gauntlets around his hands and forearms. Multiple strikes whipped around him, drawing blood in many places and dying the coat crimson, and soon Black Star was on Donavan, swinging the Enchanted Sword viciously at him. The blade glanced off of the armoured hands, but the assassin landed a few good hits on the man's torso and abdomen. The damage was slight, but worked to reduce his ability to counter attack. Satisfied, Black Star backed off, allowing Donavan to advance in an attempt to attack. He raised his fist, trying to strike Black Star, but the blue-haired assassin quickly became aware of his intentions and changed tactic.

"Shadow Star," he ordered again as Donavan neared. "Second state; Bishop's Defence!"

The shadows responded quickly, twisting around Donavan's arm to find the trajectory, then forming two diagonal slashes just ahead of where the fist would connect. The shield looked simplistic, but upon contact, Donavan's hand split open, two diagonal cuts embedded in it and the armour ripped apart. Black Star grinned, seizing the opportunity to strike again, this time with his foot in Donavan's chest. As he backed away, winded, Black Star ran forward, his left hand pulsing with dark shadows like electricity.

"Final blow!" he shouted, reeling the punch back and releasing it. "Black Star's Dark Wave!"

The fist connected, unleashing a Soul Force amplified by the power of Shadow Star. The sheer impact gravely injured the man, and he collapsed, unable to withstand his injuries. Black Star panted a little, having only used some of the moves in battle for the first time. He turned his attention to the machine in the room, deciding how to stop it. Black Star was not known for his abilities with machinery, but he had an idea which would undoubtedly stop it.

"Tsubaki, Kusarigama mode," Black Star ordered. Obediently, Tsubaki changed state quickly. Black Star threw one of the chained scythes into the roof, through the opening in the glass dome above. Once the blade had the roof gripped, Black Star let go of the second and approached the magic forge. He clapped his hands together, a charge of blue energy pulsing over his hands and arms as he charged his attack. "Black Star's Twin-Palm Mega Wave!"

The charge built more and more, until he forced his palms into the black metal. It was very hot, but his bandaged hands barely reacted as his Wavelength pulsed into the core of the magic forge, destabilising the materials inside. Instantly, Black Star grabbed the second scythe which hung inside the building, being reeled up as Tsubaki transformed into her human form. Once they were on the roof, Tsubaki returned to Ninja Sword mode and they vanished into the night. No sooner had they cleared the roof did the magic forge explode, pouring molten soul fusion over the room and creating a pillar of energy which marred everything in sight. Black Star grinned over his shoulder as they left sharpish.

"Now we report to Lord Death," he grinned. Tsubaki simply rolled her eyes, silently agreeing with her Meister, and smiling at his reckless but selfless actions.

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><p><strong>Niglesh, Sahara Desert<strong>

Once he had reached the ruin which protruded from the dusty streets and crumbling buildings, Kid could not help but marvel at the structure before them; it was like a pyramid and symmetrical as far as could be seen, but the erosion too was symmetrical, which made even the neurotic, OCD Meister uneasy and confused. Also, there was a strange emblem on the front of the building; a scarab with a red body, a dark blue head with two silver fangs protruding from the top of it, six gold legs ending in three dark claws each, and a black trio of equilateral triangles arranged into a larger one with the tip facing downwards within a circle of the body. Kid made a note of the bizarre emblem for later, then inspected the doorway and wall before him.

"This is no ruin," he noted. "The erosion would be more sporadic for something of this age. The stone even feels sharp; this long in the desert ground would have rubbed it smooth..." He turned around, gazing up the edge of the pit he was in; the 'ruin' lay at the bottom of a twelve foot deep hole, hence the confusion about the realism of the structure. "Liz, Patty, come down here! We are investigating further!"

The Weapons slid down the slope to their Meister obediently with Agni behind them. The man wielded a stick with a fuel attached to the end. He leant the fuel in a small, burning oil dish propped up near the building, igniting the torch and casting an eerie, flickering glow over the walls as the small group entered.

"What did you find out, Kid?" Patty asked as they walked. Liz appeared shaken on the other side of her Meister, but the conversation would help take her mind off of the situation they were in.

"This place is not what it appears to be," Kid replied plainly. "It is set up too well to be a real ruin."

"What do you mean?" Liz asked, confused.

"The erosion is completely symmetrical," Kid responded, still puzzled by it. "And the damages were too sharp; a ruin left as long as this supposedly is would not have symmetrical erosion, and the sand in the desert winds would have worked like sand paper and smoothed the stone over. Whatever the reason is, this so-called 'ruin' was put here by someone for a purpose. That is what we are here to find out."

"Why would anyone go through all this trouble?" Agni asked from ahead. They had been walking in almost a dead straight line, except for a couple of turns which had straightened out into the original course. It was then they had reached a spiral stairwell in the supposed centre of the pyramid. "What secrets are buried in here?"

Kid said nothing as they walked down the stairs. They must have gone around the central spiral eight times, much to Kid's delight, before they reached the base of the building. Before them, after a corridor only a few feet long, sat a huge pair of metal, blast-resistant, armoured bulkhead doors with the same emblem on them as the one on the pyramid. The Meister carefully reached into his pocket and pulled out a small effigy of his father's mask. He pulled back the middle tooth, causing the device to float up in front of him, the eyes lit up red.

"Recording findings of Niglesh unusual sightings, case 3883," he said as the device watched him. It turned to float at Kid's chest, facing outwards. "After investigating the disturbances in Niglesh, we have been led to a supposed ruin uncovered just before the incidents began. The visuals currently are from a protected bunker beneath this ruin. The emblem is of unknown origins, and will be documented for further research." Kid paused, sensing souls in the area. "Using Soul Perception, I can tell that no one is in the area other than myself, my Weapons, Elizabeth and Patricia Thompson," he ignored Liz's indignant protests of her full name being used in the video document, "and Agni Kadar, our guide who has led us to the site." Agni simply nodded and pushed the doors. To everyone's amazement, the heavy steel doors swung open a few metres before grinding to a halt half open. Kid blinked. "The doors are not locked; either this place has been abandoned long enough for the locks to perish, or they were never installed in the first place. This could be dangerous, but it appears that we must investigate within."

The four of them stepped cautiously into the room. The light was low level and cast an eerie orange glow over the room. Beyond the doors was a huge room, like that of a warehouse store room, the walls bare and as unwelcoming as the ruin above them and the scratched floors. The walls were lined with steel racks and strange diagrams pinned to the bare stone. A few large desks sat at the far end of the room, surrounded by an array of yellowed parchment with scratchy black writing and drawings scattered around them. The centre of the room held a large black steel column with a huge bulge of steel and varying components hanging to the back, and a plain steel door on the front. Kid went to inspect this while the others examined the items in the racks and the diagrams.

"Curious," he noted for the video. "It appears that there is a column of some sort in this bunker." He rapped his knuckle on the door and the side of the column curiously. "It is about four metres across, and I would estimate six to eight inches thick." His eye twitched at how unsymmetrical the numbers could be, but he remained composed for the documentation of the scene. "There is some sort of engine on the back," the Meister went on, moving around the pillar. "Chain driven, eight pistons in a straight formation, unknown fuel source, but it does not appear to be any form of standard combustible such as gasoline or petroleum." A purple deposit on the crank casing drew Kid in. He swept up a fingerful and rubbed it between his thumb and forefinger. "The discharge on the crank indicates a strong presence of souls, but the substance is cold and soul perception cannot pick this up; it would seem that this has not been used for some time." He pulled out a vial and labelled it 'Crank Discharge' before sealing it with a sample of the powder. "Professor Stein can study this later." He saw from his position a series of tubes going into the pillar. "What the-"

"Kid!" Patty's voice echoed over the room. The Meister jumped, then attempted to calm his heart rate while turning to his Weapon, glaring at her.

"Don't scare me like that, Patty!" he shouted, stomping his foot. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

Contrary to her usual behaviour, Patty turned to her Meister, pointing a shaky finger towards the rack and diagrams beside her. Stunned by this strange behaviour, Kid approached, and was almost sick at what he saw. The diagrams showed bodies being taken apart and the souls broken down into a liquid of some sort. On top of this, the rack had body parts such as eyes, fingers, parts of bones and even a spine and skull, all of them looking repulsive and putrid, some even decaying in places. Kid clenched his teeth and looked away, moving Patty away from the area.

"Don't look at it, Patty," he said softly.

"What happened here, Kid?" she asked, clearly still worried about what she had seen. "What's going on?"

"I don't know," Kid replied honestly. "Go help Liz; I'll be there shortly." She nodded and hurried off. Kid took a breath to clear his mind, then reported this. "Patty discovered body parts of human origin in one of the racks; judging by the decomposition, they have been there some time. There are also diagrams implying that the people behind this have taken humans, killed them to use their body parts for unknown reasons, and taken the souls to make some sort of liquid. There is no trace of this substance, which implies that it has been taken elsewhere or used in another function." He paused and looked at the pillar from before. "The engine found before appears to be attached to a pumping apparatus running through the pillar; it would seem the pillar is for running a substance to the surface, but it is known whether this substance is safe to contact, therefore I am not going to open the column to investigate further. Recommend the deployment of a hazardous substance control unit upon assessment."

Kid headed towards Liz and Patty, who were looking at a computer system which had been turned on. They had opened a video of a masked person, the black visored eyes blocking out his, but the facial structure and tone of voice pointed towards a male.

"Log 317," he said as the video played. "Project Armoured Sword has been proven successful following the trials of Black Blood mark 7. I have been informed that a Witch under the name of Medusa has made a functional prototype of a Meister/Weapon hybrid using a liquidated Demon Sword to form Black Blood." Kid's eyes widened as he realised he had referred to Crona. "However, spies have deduced the power to be a dud, and that it is a mark 2 at best. With this in mind, the soul compression has been trebled to meet capacity. The next stage of Black Blood is being tested at this moment in time to match up to Vulcan specification. End log." Static filled the window briefly before it closed itself moments later.

"What the hell is Vulcan?" Liz asked aloud, studying the time stamp; it was made eleven years before.

"Liz, play the latest one," Kid said, his tone authoritative. She simply nodded and cursored over it; this one was only four years ago. The same man flashed up, though his white lab coat was singed and damaged.

"Log 2719," he announced tiredly. "The system has been compromised; the theory that Vulcan would revert after a few months has been proven wrong. In fact, Vulcan has aligned himself with Shibusen and found a Meister compatible with him, meaning the fusion capability for the Kishin has been permanently shut down. Black Blood mark 15 has failed to stand up to the ability of Project 709, codename Kishin Blood." Again, Kid was stunned by this. Could this mean- "To anyone who finds this, Vulcan has gone rogue; Kai Friel must not be allowed into any compounds. As a precaution, I will be putting the systems in Subterra onto automatic and stock up enough of the prototype Kishin Blood into the distributor to last for four years on a monthly burst; this will be enough to finalise the findings for it. Additionally, Project Armoured Sword is still progressing, despite the loss of our initial creation. Final log of Alfred Donavan, Subterra base." Again, static set in before the window closed. Silence, then Kid reported once more.

"Hard drive of the terminal here holds several video logs dating between thirteen and four years ago," he noted. "Latest entry indicates that the station was abandoned following the usurpation of the Kishin Weapon Kai Friel. It also indicates that, despite his claims, the Kishin Blood is being tested and distributed even now. If this is the case, the source of the strange incidents here may be this stockpile of blood." Kid turned to the Thompsons once more. "I want you two to retrieve the hard drive and memory drives from this computer and be ready to move out." They nodded and started their job. "Where's Agni?"

He soon found the man by the pump on the pillar. He was examining the engine and the actual apparatus with a look of intrigue and worry. Kid watched as he probed the crank and fingered the pipes around the pump.

"What on earth is this strange machine?" Agni asked. "And what is its purpose?" He looked up at Kid expectantly, but the Meister simply sighed before answering.

"We are not sure yet," he replied. "It seems that this place was once used for the purpose of making a specialist weapon but has been abandoned due to its failure." He looked up at the wall, noticing a flashing light which had not been there before. "What's that?"

The younger man went to investigate the light while Agni remained in place and his Weapons continued to dismantle the computer. A dusty sign sat beneath the flashing light, as well as a severed wire connected to a siren high in the room. The OCD Meister sighed at the asymmetry of the room, a tick mark appearing on his head while his eyes twitched, then began wiping away the dust. His eyes widened as he read the large black letters on the rusty and pitted metal plate;

__'WARNING: Siren will sound if pump pressure levels exceed safe limits. Pumps must be shut off immediately and immediate vicinity cleared. Ignoring this warning may lead to fatalities.'__

Kid reread it quickly to make certain that what he thought it said, then swore loudly under his breath.

"Liz! Patty! Agni!" he barked. "We're leaving this place!"

"What's wrong, Death the Kid?" Agni asked, not noticing the strain on the jubilee clip near his hand. "What did you find?"

"This is an accident waiting to happen, that's what!" Kid snapped, but his words came too late.

The black tubing bulged as the pressure in it mounted, the rusty jubilee clip groaning under strain, until it sheered and, in a spray of dark liquid and corroded metal, the tube pulled away from the pillar. Agni yelped and lurched backwards, but it was all too late as the thick blackness splattered over the floor around him and struck him in the chest.

"Agni!" Kid yelled as the man fell backwards and rolled over, clutching his face and writhing in agony.

"Kid!" Liz shouted, freaked out by the images before them. Even Patty seemed weirded out by it. "What's going on?" The shorter sister moved to help the man, but Kid cut her off.

"No, Patty! Stay where you are!" he ordered sharply. The girl seemed shocked by her Meister's words, but did not move any further, instead backing away towards her sister. "Don't let that stuff touch you; don't you remember that video?" Kid looked to Agni, sensing his soul had gone into disarray and was falling into chaos. "That substance is toxic to humans, we don't know what it will do to a Weapon or a Meister."

"Death the Kid," Agni's voice drew Kid's attention again. "What... is happening... to me?"

"I'm afraid you have been contaminated by the substance causing the incidents on the surface," Kid replied, his tone sympathetic as Agni looked up; his pupils were constricting as he spoke, and his face and chest was heavily burnt where the substance had burnt through his clothing and scarred his flesh. "Judging by what is happening to your soul, you are falling into madness, which is no doubt why the other victims suffered broken bones and strange injuries. Unfortunately, there is no cure for it; you will become insane in a matter of minutes. I'm sorry."

"Thank you," Agni managed. "for your honesty." He struggled to breath in again. "Please... kill me." Kid's eyes widened, but Agni went on. "Your school looks after... the lives and souls of humans... This is... no way to live... Let me die... as a man... not a beast."

Kid was touched by how the man was aware of his own limited time, and chose to do such a drastic measure, though he knew it was the lesser of two evils. He looked at the Thompsons with a pained look in his eyes, and they instantly knew what he wanted, transforming wordlessly. He took careful aim on the man, who had lowered his head and seemed to be whispering something in a dialect Kid was unfamiliar with.

"Agni Kadar," he said, the pain and sympathy evident in his tone. "May your soul reach its resting place safely. Let all here and those who watch this recording bear witness, for this brave-hearted man died as a man, and nothing less." Two gunshots sounded through the room, and the man fell still, his soul vanishing from existence. Kid's arms flopped to his sides and dropped the pistols, who changed back instantly. "The substance in this room is too toxic to safely collect a sample for now; the hazardous substances unit will have to collect one when they investigate this area. Recommend full purge of the ruin and facility once finished. This ends my report." Kid pulled the middle tooth forwards on the camera, the eyes dulled quickly, signalling the device was turned off. Liz rested her hand on Kid's shoulder.

"You ok, Kid?" she asked wearily. Kid nodded, his expression dark.

"Yeah," he replied. "But I have business to attend to with our latest ally. Let's go."

The girls exchanged worried looks before following their Meister, a couple of hard drives and memory boards in their pockets. As they left the dark, ominous place, they knew that their Meister's actions could prove dangerous to Spartoi, especially since he was refusing to speak to them as they made their way towards Shibusen once more.

* * *

><p><em><em>Ok, another chapter done. I had planned to continue Maka and Soul's mission this time, but I decided against it for now to build suspense as to the Black Clown (though it probably didn't do that for you guys).<em>_

__Yes, the Kishin Blood in Kai's veins is not the only one in existence. Was he lying, or did he honestly not know of this supply? And what was Project Armoured Sword?__

__All will reveal itself in time. For now let me know what you thought with a review :)__

__Bye for now!__


	10. Power Beyond Compare

_**Spoilers:** after the Anime and sort of from Manga chapter 62/3. You have been warnied._

_**Warning(s): **Possible swearing, mild/medium gore level potential, fluff._

_**Pairing(s): **SoMa, possibly some TsuStar and/or KidxLizxPatty_

_**Brief: **With the Kishin defeated, what new threats will rise up to face the heroes from Shibusen? Will Kid's words of warning when the Kishin was killed come true sooner than they thought? And can the Madness be eliminated completely before it consumes the world?_

_**Disclaimer: **Atsushi Okubo owns Soul Eater, not me._

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Ten: Power Beyond Compare; Return to Shibusen<strong>

**__England__**

Maka's eyes shone as they snapped open, the shadowy melody coming from Soul's Black Room seeping through her mind from his soul. She spun Soul over her head, channelling her wavelength through Soul's scythe form, an intense blue aura surrounding both.

"It's working," the Meister heard Soul say as he played. Maka realised quickly that she was hearing him in her head.

Yeah, but don't let it go to your head, she told him. Keep focussed, Soul; we have to go higher than this.

"Yeah, no kidding Maka," Soul replied. She could practically hear him roll his eyes. "You can't build up from the start; just let me concentrate on increasing our resonance."

Maka nodded. As she spun the scythe faster and faster, she became aware of the intense Witch Hunter she was wielding was growing bigger with every revolution. Streaks of electricity coursed through the air as the energy built and discharged slightly. The Clown cocked its head and moved forwards from its position with feral and frightening speed, bladed arm reared back to swing. Maka reacted in an instant, charging forward with a trail of lightning behind her as she reeled back the scythe. The music was building around her, a dark purple energy lacing her movements as Maka neared the demonic beast. With a great shout, she swung, the music hitting a forte as she let fly the attack. Sparks flew as the two blade met, each trying to be dominant. Maka's eyes flickered with dark purple energy as Soul's piano strokes built in volume, the intense crescendo going from forte to fortissimo and further to fortississimo. With every step in the rhythm and every burst of melodic darkness, Maka's force behind her attack built and mounted, pushing the Clown backwards a step, then another. It looked shocked as its feet began to grind backwards on the stone.

"Impossible!" the creature growled. "You cannot possess such strength! I do not believe this!"

"Believe it or not," Maka replied, a dark grin on her face. "You're still not getting away!" The purple energy pulsed over Soul's glowing blade, making it seem as though the scythe was electrified. "Now, Soul! Genie Hunter!"

Bright light shone from Maka and Soul as he slammed the final notes in sequence, the fierce energy swirling around them as they let loose their power. Maka's swing finished with the burst of energy, sending the Clown flying into the bridge, which cracked even more under the weight of the creature and force of the impact. When it raised it's head again, Maka was stood there, wielding Soul with a purple and blue halberd blade atop his handle. A red eye stared blankly out at the creature as Maka reared the blade back once more for the final strike, and the Clown could clearly see the small, white wings sprouted from Maka's back as she started for it.

The beast moved quickly, standing upright and bringing it's bladed arm up to intercept the attack, but it was in vain as Maka swung, the Genie Hunter fuelled by Soul's dark music and Maka's Anti-Demon Wavelength and sheer determination. The axe-like blade slammed into the Clown, meeting resistance for a moment before yielding to the power behind the weapon. In the blink of an eye, Maka shot forwards passed the Clown, standing on the other side of the bridge. At first, nothing, then a cry of pain.

Maka dropped to her knee, the base of Soul's handle resting on the ground to help support her. Her hand trailed to her left side, where a fresh cut had made itself known. Blood poured between her fingers and a puddle of crimson emerged beside her, her left leg also torn open from the clash. Soul groaned, his energy depleted. In the Black Room, he sweated profusely, the macabre music having used all his stamina. Thunder sounded overhead as the first droplets of rain began to fall.

"Did we... lose?" Soul wondered, looking out of his Weapon form at the Clown, which was still standing. The creature turned and grinned to him.

CRACK!

The porcelain face on the Clown split in half as a line of white built about its torso.

"What do you know," it mused, almost sounded pleased by the outcome. "You were better than I expected, children of Spartoi." It grunted as white light erupted in a plane from the cut. "Farewell for now."

The light grew as white flames coated the disfigured being, before it suddenly exploded in a cloud of white particles. The bridge it had been standing on collapsed under the blast, and the soul which should have appeared disappeared from Soul's sight. He sighed in relief and changed to human form. He was burnt in places, sooty marks splattering his white attire and hair, and, he noted with a grimace, his chest was bleeding a little, leaking through his scar from Crona; the sheer force of soul he was having to put into the attack, the might of his resonance with Maka, had torn the scar open a little. He looked to Maka, noting how injured she was, and knowing that his wounds were mere scrapes compared to hers.

"Maka, are you alright?" he asked, the rain pouring down over them, making his hair fall close over his skull. Maka looked up, grimacing, and nodded.

"Yeah," she voiced her decision. "Come on, let's get back to Shibusen."

The blonde Meister tried to pull herself up, but the laceration in her leg seared with pain, making her stumble. Soul caught her before she hit the ground, supporting her on her better leg.

"Yeah, right," Soul replied bluntly. "You're too banged up to try resonating with me for that long, and it's not like we can walk it." The rain fell harder as he spoke. Maka sniffed, a little hurt that she was so unable now that she was injured, but agreed with her Weapon.

"Then what do you suggest?" she asked. Soul looked up the path leading away from the river, noticing the faint light on the hill top.

"I've got an idea," he replied. "Can you walk like this?"

"Maybe, but I'm no- WAH!" Maka yelled as Soul sighed, shifting her onto his back with ease. "What the hell are you doing, Soul?!"

"You think I'm gonna let you walk around in the rain like this?" he replied simply, running with her on his back. "Calm down; this way is much faster anyway. Just hold on to me."

Maka sighed, rolling her eyes, but did as he asked, hugging him loosely around the neck so that she was not choking him, leaning her head on it's side against his back, just enjoying the feel of him carrying her and the dull thump of his heart in her ear. Despite the circumstances, she felt glad to be with Soul.

* * *

><p><strong><em><em>Shibusen, Nevada<em>_**

The group in the training room turned to the sound of the doors opening. Kai had been sparring in a three-way fight with Black Star and Mifune, the Kishin Weapon enjoying the different manner of fighting, while Professor Stein tutored Crona on utilising his full abilities, knowing how to manipulate the Madness within him ever so slightly to increase effectiveness. All eyes fell on Kid as he approached with Liz and Patty hot on his heels. He was moving quickly, his fists clenched and eyes glaring. Kai changed his arm back into its human state and cocked his head.

"Hey, Kid," he said simply as the Grim Reaper walked up to him. "What's up?"

Without a verbal reply, Kid did something which shocked everyone present; he reeled back his hand and thrust forward, punching Kai hard in the jaw. The older man stepped back a little, holding his wounded face lightly and glaring back at Kid.

"The hell's your problem?!" he growled. "Have you lost it?"

"You bastard!" Kid roared back, trying to punch him again, but Liz gripped his arms and Patty pushed herself between the males, pushing Kid back and getting some space between them. "Dammit! It's all you fault!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Kai asked heatedly. Patty turned to him, her face almost sympathetic as she handed him a small camera with a screen visible. Confused, Kai watched the video in silence, ignoring Kid's shouts. He clamped a hand over his mouth as he watched Agni's brutal death and execution before watching as the screen went black. By the time he had seen it all, Kid had calmed down and was on his knees, Liz still gripping his arms in case he flipped out again. "What is this?"

"They had Kishin Blood there," Kid explained, clearly distraught. "The incidents were because of it being exposed to the citizens there. It was part of a Witch's plan called Project Armoured Sword, headed by Vulcan, a prototype Weapon designed to be used by the Kishin." Kai's eyes widened. "You're part of it, Kai." Kid paused, letting it sink in. "What do you know of this?"

"Nothing," Kai replied, still shocked. "I didn't think anything was left of it after I came to Shibusen... Whatever it was, it can't be good if they used me as a prototype."

"What's going on over here?" Stein asked as he neared, having seen Kid punch Kai but little else due to being quite far off. Kai threw the camera to Stein, not bothering to look up at the man.

"Give that to Lord Death," he said in a dark tone. "Make sure he sees it right away." Stein looked as though he was about to argue, but Kai cut him off. "It's about where I came from." Stein understood and sighed, twisting the bolt in his head.

"Fine," he replied, walking away. "Just try not to kill each other while I'm gone."

"Liz, Patty," Kid said as Stein walked away. "Go with Professor Stein to my father, and give him the drives we took from the computers." His Weapons looked unsure, but agreed all the same, hurrying behind Stein. Kid looked at Kai and sighed. "I'm sorry for hitting you." Kai shook his head.

"No," he replied. "I would have done the same in your position. If you'll excuse me, I need to be alone."

Without another word, Kai stretched out his wings and took to the air, finding somewhere to be by himself. As he flew away, Black Star watched the man then turned to Kid, his face blank and slightly confused.

"What was that all about?" he asked, more to anyone who could answer than someone in particular.

* * *

><p><strong><em><em>England<em>_**

They trudged through the fields and the wind and rain for a long time before they finally found the place Soul had been searching for. The fact the he had to carry Maka up the hill and through knee-deep mud in order to get there was a strong factor in the lengthy travel, and both Weapon and Meister were thoroughly soaked by rain water, caked by mud and various bits of bracken and plant life, and even had crimson tie-dye streaks over their white clothing from their wounds. As Soul hauled her up the stony driveway, Maka gasped at the sight of the house before them.

It was very large, that was the first thing which struck her. She had been to Kid's mansion before, but this was completely different; it was an old, brick building, which looked like it had been around since the Victorian era. The grand mansion had a main body where two large oaken doors stood intimidatingly above them as they approached, and two wings which shrunk back a few feet from the porch. Stone columns and steps decorated the porch, along with the more lavish golden knocker on the doors and the patterns of holly leaves on the frame of the doors. Maka stopped her astounded stares as Soul ascended the stairs, wondering who lived there. Before she could ask, Soul had raised his hand to the large knocker, which was held in a lions mouth. A few minutes later, the right hand door swung aside, revealing a tall woman who seemed a little surprised to see them there. Maka poked her head out from behind Soul's to get a better look at her.

She was very tall for a woman, standing at almost six feet with no real heel on her shoes, and had bright blue irises. Her face was framed by a shock of golden hair which was mostly twisted into a single plaited ponytail which hung over her left shoulder and cascaded down to her left hip. Her skin was the same tone as Soul's, Maka noted, and the tall woman was wearing very nice clothes despite the late hour. A pair of reading glasses were perched upon her head, indicating that she had been reading and that was why she was still awake.

"Soul?" she asked finally, having stared at the two stood in the doorway for some time. "What on earth are you doing out in this weather?"

"Heh, we kind of got caught out, mum," he replied sheepishly. "It's not like we planned this."

"I can tell," the woman, Soul's mother, replied with a smile. Her eyes turned to Soul's chest and also to Maka's still bleeding leg. "Oh, dear, are you two hurt?"

"I'm fine, mum," Soul replied. "Most of this blood isn't mine." He paused, hesitating. "Uh, mum, we can't get back to Shibusen in our condition; Maka can barely walk as it is. Could we-"

"Oh, of course!" Soul's mum exclaimed, stepping aside to let them in. "You don't need to ask, Soul! Come in before you both catch your death!" Soul walked in carefully, Maka still upon his back. "So, this is the infamous Maka we've heard so much about," Soul's mum went on, closing the door behind them. "She certainly is a pretty one, Soul." Maka blushed at this comment. Before she could say a word, another voice came from behind them.

"Mommy?" it said. "What's going on?"

Soul turned, taking Maka with him. Stood in the hallway was a small girl who was rubbing her eyes tiredly and had a small brown teddy bear in her other hand. She was about nine, if Maka had to guess, with dark hair down to her shoulder blades. Like Soul's mum, she had blue eyes.

"Hey, squirt," Soul grinned at the girl. "What are you doing up so late?"

"Soul!" she grinned, running up to him and giving him a hug around the legs. "You're home!"

"Yeah, I told you I'd come back, Rosie," he smiled, ruffling her hair affectionately, careful not to drop Maka in the process. Soul's mum laughed a little and scooped Rosie up.

"We've all missed you, Soul," she said with a sad smile. "But we know that you are doing good for the world at Shibusen." Soul nodded, understanding the hurt he had caused because of his abilities. Before he could speak up, however, Maka let out a groan, an unintentional action due to a pain shooting up her leg. "Oh, I'm so sorry, dear!" Soul's mum put Rosie down again. "Rosie, honey, go fetch your father." The girl nodded and hurried off. "Soul, hold onto Maka for the moment while I get some towels." Soul nodded and stood awkwardly with Maka still perched upon his back as his mother dashed off to find some old towels. He looked to his Meister and gave her a sympathetic smile.

"Sorry about this," he said. "But it was the only thing I could think of." Maka shook her head.

"It's fine," she replied, understanding. "Your family seems nice."

"Thanks," Soul chuckled a little. "Hard to beat your dad though." Maka snorted at the thought.

"Yeah, right," she replied sourly. "He's still a dumbass for hurting mama like that."

Soul nodded knowingly as two people appeared, one being Soul's mother, the other being a fairly tall man, perhaps a little shorter than Soul's mother, with dark hair in a short, neat styling, and red eyes like Soul's. He was wearing a white coat and carrying a black doctor's bag. He looked at Soul and Maka and nodded.

"Good to see you again, son," he said without changing his face from neutral. Soul nodded back.

"Hi, dad," he returned. "Could you help my Meister?"

"Certainly," the man rolled his crimson eyes. "What kind of doctor would I be if I couldn't help a girl in the middle of the night? Let's take her into the lounge so I can work." The group moved together, Soul's mother laying the towels in her arms over a bed of sorts in the lounge. With it covered, Soul placed Maka down on the bed, allowing her to lie down. Soul's father sat on a stool beside her, setting his bag down on the table. "Now then, my dear. I am Doctor William Evans. Could you explain how you got these injuries?"

"A fight which got out of hand," Maka replied. "We weren't expecting then to have so many tricks up their sleeves." She paused. "Sorry, what did you say your name was?" William blinked.

"William Evans, my dear girl," he replied. "Why do you ask? Have I worked on you before?"

"No, it's just... Your surname is Evans?" William nodded to Maka. "I'm sorry, I was under the impression that you were the Eater family."

"Ah," William nodded, working on Maka's leg. "That would be because of Solomon's choice of name when he went to Shibusen." Maka had to pinch herself to make sure she had heard correctly. "He prefers to be called 'Soul' instead, but he changed his surname to keep his family name out of his life there." Soul was fidgeting by now, uncomfortable with the topic. "I never understood it myself; my father raised my brother and I to be proud of our heritage and familial bonds." Maka winced and cringed as William worked on her side. "My apologies. It is difficult to tell where the tissue is still suffering from the damage." Maka nodded, facing away from the injury. Soul's mother smiled at her.

"You're doing fine, dear," she told the young Meister reassuringly.

"Lilian," William finally said. "Could you make sure that Soul's room is prepared for the night? Maka will need time to recuperate before they return to Shibusen." Soul's mother, Lilian, nodded and headed off, nudging Soul towards Maka as she left. William put his needle and thread away, having finished stitching up the final wounds on Maka's body. "There you are, Maka. I've done all I can with your injuries; the worst are stitched and have gauze over them to prevent infection. You had quite a few needle-like puncture wounds which had clotted when I started; be careful not to break the scabs until they fade. Would you like any pain medication?" Maka shook her head, and William nodded in return. "Very well. You both may stay in Soul's bedroom tonight; it is more than sufficient for two people to spend the night. If you'll excuse me, I need to clean my equipment before I retire." The man stood and picked up his bag. "Good night, Maka, it was a pleasure to meet you even if the circumstances were not pleasant." Maka smiled despite her battered state of being.

"Thank you for your help, Doctor Evans," she replied. "Good night." William nodded and walked over to Soul, who had barely moved since Maka had been laid down.

"It is good to have you home, Soul," he said, his tone almost void of emotion, though Soul could have sworn there was an edge of joy about it. "I will see you in the morning." Soul nodded and shook his father's hand.

"Night, dad," he replied. "It's good to be home."

Maka was sure that she heard William chuckle at Soul's remark, but he moved away as if nothing had happened all the same. Only once his father had left did Soul move to Maka's side, kneeling and taking place beside her left shoulder.

"How do you feel?" he asked. Maka smiled softly, her peridot irises glued to her Weapon as he watched with anxious scarlet eyes.

"I'm fine," she replied simply. "This is nothing compared to what we've been through together." Soul sighed, agreeing. There was a brief silence, then Maka spoke up once more. "Why did you change your name, Soul?" she asked. "And why did you never mention your family before?"

"I don't like to keep my family in this," he replied with a shrug. "I changed my name to 'Soul Eater' so that no one in school knew of my family's connections." Maka raised an eyebrow quizically and Soul sighed again. "Maka, it can't have escaped you attention that my family is well-off, and the name is kind of well known in the right circles; I couldn't risk someone at school knowing that I was part of this family for that reason." Maka nodded, understanding his reasoning. "I don't want to have a partner who is with me for my family status; I want a partner who is with me for me..." Maka placed her hand on Soul's shoulder in a comforting gesture.

"But why didn't you tell me once I was you partner?" she asked, curious. "I understand at first, but what stopped you after that?"

"I guess it never came up," Soul replied. He looked Maka in the eyes and noticed the hint of hurt in her eyes. "You don't think..." Maka looked away, flushing a little. "Maka, do you really think I'm uncool enough not to trust my partner?"

"No, it's just..." Maka trailed off a little. "Tsubaki has told Black Star about her family, and he has none to speak of. Kid told Liz and Patty about his, and they told him about theirs. You even know about my family!"

"Maka, it's hard not to know about your family between your wierdo father's shouts about your mother and you," Soul replied in deadpan. In any other situation, Maka might have laughed or cringed at this comment, but she made no such sound.

"You know what I mean, Soul," she complained. "You're the only one who hasn't talked about your family with your partner. I know you trust me, but... I don't know, it's just unusual."

Soul was quiet as he thought about his Meister's words. Laying there at his side, she looked disappointed by Soul's lack of willingness to discuss his family. He ran a hand through his hair and gripped her hand. Maka looked back to him, wondering what he was going to do or say.

"I know you think it's weird that I haven't told you about my family when everyone else has," he said finally. "But I can't bring myself to bring my family into it. When I joined Shibusen, I changed my name and made sure that no one knew the real me as a defence mechanism, and I guess I never allowed myself to drop it because I had built my life there around it." Maka furrowed her eyebrows but said nothing. "I guess I thought, if anyone knew about my family life, they would reject me and call me a fake. That's why I couldn't do it; I couldn't break my image."

Maka smiled and patted his shoulder.

"You're an idiot, Soul," she said softly. "We would never reject you for something as simple as family; Liz, Patty, Tsubaki, Kid, Black Star and me, we're all like your family at Shibusen, and family doesn't hide things from each other. Don't forget that, Soul."

"Thanks, Maka," Soul smiled back. They stayed there in comfortable silence until Lilian returned.

"Soul, your room is ready," she said. "Could you take Maka up?" Soul nodded, scooping his Meister up bridal style and lifting her off of the bed. "I'll wake you both up at half past eight for breakfast tomorrow."

"Thank you for everything, Mrs Evans," Maka said gratefully. Lilian laughed lightly at this.

"Oh, honey," she replied. "Mrs Evans was Soul's grandmother. Please, call me Lily."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Maka replied, rubbing her eyes; with her adrenaline surge from the fight draining itself from her system, she was beginning to feel fatigued.

Lilian pushed open a door on the second floor, revealing a large room with a bed, a large couch and a desk evident in it. Maka did not pay much attention to the details within due to how dark it was, and she was half asleep. Soul gently set her down on the bed and covered her with the duvet. She was asleep in moments.

Soul smiled and softly kissed her forehead as she began to softly snore.

"Sweet dreams, Maka," he said as he went to the couch and curled up on it.

Neither Weapon nor Meister noticed Lilian smiling as she watched the short scene from the doorway. She slipped out silently, leaving the young duo to rest of their own accord.

* * *

><p><em><em>Okay, I hope you guys and girls liked this.<em>_

__I'm going on holiday for the week, so additions might be slow as a generalism, but I can't help that fact. I just hope this suffices until I return.__

__As usual, read and review; I appreciate any constructive criticism or pointers.__

__Also, good luck to anyone receiving their GCSE results next week, or anyone who received their A-Level results yesterday; I'm still biting my nails about my results to come :/__

__Anyway, goodbye for now!__


	11. Ultimatum

**Spoilers:**_ after the Anime and sort of from Manga chapter 62/3. You have been warnied._

**Warning(s): **_Possible swearing, mild/medium gore level potential, fluff._

**Pairing(s): **_SoMa, possibly some TsuStar and/or KidxLizxPatty_

**Brief: **_With the Kishin defeated, what new threats will rise up to face the heroes from Shibusen? Will Kid's words of warning when the Kishin was killed come true sooner than they thought? And can the Madness be eliminated completely before it consumes the world?_

**Disclaimer: **_Atsushi Okubo owns Soul Eater, not me._

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Eleven: Ultimatum; Final Training of Spartoi?<strong>

Maka's eyes scrunched up tight as she felt something twitch against her left side. Instinctively, her hand shot to it, finding the dampened warmth of cloth under her touch, causing a jolt of worry in her. Pulling the covers back, Maka's eyes fell upon the crimson-coloured bandage on her left side, and as she eased it way her fear turned to relief; the wound had mostly clotted except for a couple of patches where she had moved, and the blood on the gauze was nothing more than the remnants of the stemmed bleeding from the night before. As her relief settled her nerves, the Meister became aware that something had changed.

Looking around, she noticed light behind the dense curtains, casting a low-level glow over the large, alien room, and began to pick out objects and shapes in the room. She could see a large, black grand piano occupying the far corner of the room, lonely and forgotten from the time her Weapon was away, and a desk strewn with sheet music sat along side it. A couch, a coffee table and a large flat-screen TV took the next wall, with the window opposite them and the bed opposite a second door which was open a crack with steam pouring out. It was then Maka turned her attention to the bed itself; a large four-poster double bed, the wooden chassis styled with musical instruments and souls carved into it. The bed spread was simple, plain blue with darker edging. As Maka's eyes drifted up to the top of the bed spread, she came to a shocking realisation. Before she could elaborate in her mind, she heard a loud, familiar shout.

"Hey hey hey! Good to see ya, Soul!" Lord Death's unmistakable voice rang out. "Oh! I'm not interrupting, am I?"

"Nah, it's cool," Soul's quieter words responded. "I wanted to give a mission report before we headed back to Shibusen."

"Yes, you had us worried when you did not return," Lord Death's tone implied he was asking what had happened.

"We ran into complications," Soul elaborated. "The source of the Madness here has been stopped, but Maka suffered heavy damage in the fight; we had no real choice but to remain here until Maka had been treated." Shouts of 'Maka!' could be heard in the background as Spirit began whining about his daughter's safety, but they were ignored as Soul went on. "We are currently at my family's house in England, and we will head back as soon as possible."

"Excellent," Lord Death announced. "I'll leave you to it, then. Later, Soul!"

A few moments later, Soul sighed, muttering something about how strange Lord Death was, and walked out of the door, a white towel tied around his waist as he emerged from the steam-filled en suite. Maka's eyes fell upon his torso, and she had to practically wrestle her thoughts into submission as she did. His scar, she noticed, looked a little more vibrant than before in places, though why she could not pin-point. His hair was damp and messily hung over his head and neck, his eyes misted with something Maka did not expect; nostalgia would have been the closest thing she could relate it to. Soul turned to her and smiled.

"Hey," he said softly. "How do you feel?"

"Better," Maka shrugged, pulling the covers over her torso and pulling herself into a sitting position. As if sensing her discomfort, Soul unhooked a black and red dressing gown and threw it to Maka, turning away to allow her to put it on in semi-privacy. "But what happened to my clothes?"

"They got wrecked in the fight with that Clown," Soul replied, back to her. "Don't you remember?"

"Of course I remember that!" Maka snapped irritably, tying the gown shut. "Ok, you can turn around now." Soul did so obediently. "Anyway, what I meant is where are they?"

"Oh, that-" Soul started, but a knock at the door cut him off. "Yeah?"

The main door swung open gently, revealing a young woman with brown hair in a green-blue apron, black skirt and white button-up blouse. She was not too tall, a little shorter than the average twenty two year old, but she was slender with a kind face and gentle green irises. Her hair was up in a bun, and in her hands was a pile of white clothes.

"Good morning, master Solomon," she smiled politely, bowing slightly. Soul sighed audibly.

"How many times, Maria?" he asked. "Please, call me Soul."

"I could never be so improper, master Solomon," the woman, Maria, shook her head with a smile. She seemed to pause, as if she were a game character, just for a moment, then blushed and bowed. "My apologies; I should have made sure you were decent before I entered."

"Don't worry about it," Soul replied, shaking it off. "I admitted you, after all." Maria nodded and placed the clothes on the desk before pulling the bed sheets straight again. She spotted Maka standing in Soul's bath robe and blushed again before bowing.

"I'm sorry, miss," she said courteously. "I did not notice you before; did you sleep well?"

"Uh, yeah," Maka blinked, taken aback by the action the maid had performed. "It was fine."

"That is good," Maria nodded again. "I hope I did not wake you up when I removed your clothing." Maka's mind screamed at the thought of a woman, one she had never met before to boot, taking off her clothes, but Maria explained herself all the same. "Mistress Lilian requested I collected them so that they could be repaired and cleaned. If it makes you feel any better, you may strike me."

"Wha- No no, I could never do that!" Maka said hurriedly, shaking her hands in front of her chest. Maria looked relieved, but Soul pouted, knowing this was not true from his stand-point. Despite this, he stayed quiet, not wanting a concussion so early in the morning. "Thank you for doing that."

"It was no trouble," Maria smiled. She shifted uneasily on her feet, her smile faltering. "Pardon me, miss, but I do not recall your name."

"Oh, don't worry," Maka smiled, holding her hand out. "I'm Maka, Maka Albarn." Maria hesitantly shook her hand limply.

"So, this is the miss Albarn I have heard so much about," she smiled. "It is a pleasure to meet you at last." She released Maka's hand and turned to Soul. "Mistress Lilian would like me to tell you breakfast is ready when both of you are."

"Thanks, Maria," Soul smiled, nodding. "You can go now; Wes probably has you rushed off your feet as usual." Maria bowed, uttering a quick thank you to Soul as she left. Soul turned to Maka, her uniform in hand. "You can use the shower before you get dressed; I'll get you some clean bandages before we go downstairs." The young Meister took the clothes and smiled gratefully. She paused as she walked away and turned to her weapon.

"Thank you, Soul," she said. He grinned at her.

"Come on," he said. "What kind of Deathscythe would I be if I couldn't look out for my Meister?" Maka giggled, causing a frown on Soul's face. "What? What's so funny?"

"You so just ripped off Kuroshitsugi," she replied jovially. Soul chuckled a little at this.

"Maybe, but it's true for cool guys like me," he shrugged. "Hurry up, and don't take as long as you usually do."

"Baka," Maka growled lightly, sticking her tongue out as she sauntered into the humid bathroom and shut the door behind her. The Weapon grinned, at the closed door for a moment before getting dressed and creeping downstairs to get Maka's replacement bandages.

In the en suite, Maka turned the water on, cringing as the icy liquid poured upon her, and turned it up as high as her skin would withstand. With her bandages removed, she could see the full extent of the damages she had received in the battle against the Clown. The wounds were sore and red, but at least they were not bleeding, nor were they infected in any way. She was grateful for the work which Doctor Evans had performed on her the night before. She ran her hand over the angry puncture in her left side, craning her neck over her shoulder to see the opposing wound, though her hand could not quite reach it. She frowned.

"This could be troublesome," she murmured. "If there are any more like that Clown, we could be in trouble. Still, we won't be bothered by that one again."

Pushing her thoughts aside like curtains in the morning, Maka shut off the cascade of water and stepped out of the shower, drying herself with a fluffy white towel. As she was pulling on her clothing, she heard a knock at the door.

"Hey, Maka," Soul called through the wooden barrier. "I've got the bandages for you."

"Ok!" Maka replied, pausing shortly. "Um, Soul? Could you... help me?"

The Weapon, who was holding a first aid kit in one hand, frowned as the lock slid back into the door, allowing it to swing open freely. Maka stood there, a great blush on her cheeks, wearing her uniform on her lower half and her bra on her top. It took every effort of Soul's being not to pass out from a gargantuan nosebleed which was threatening to emerge. The Meister was clearly not overly comfortable with the situation, but she did not voice her concerns.

"I can't reach the wound on my back," she explained. "Could you..."

"Uh, sure," Soul replied, handing Maka a couple of sticky-back medical pads to deal with her other scrapes.

The Meister turned around, allowing her Weapon to apply the pad in his hands. As he unravelled a bandage to hold the pads in place while not restricting Maka's movements.

"They don't seem as bad as I thought they would be," Soul mused, more to himself than Maka.

"H-hey!" Maka squeaked as Soul began to wrap the soft bandage around her midsection. "Stop staring, pervert!"

"Alright, jeez, you don't have to get so testy," Soul rolled his eyes, pulling the bandage tight and pinning it using the bandages and tape. "There, done." Maka looked down, as if confirming that the bandage was in place, then pulled on her shirt, keeping her back to Soul while she buttoned it.

"Thank you, Soul," she said. She turned around once her shirt was buttoned and smiled confidently at her Weapon. "Now, let's get going; it sounded like we're needed at Shibusen."

"Alright, let me say goodbye to my family, then we'll go," Soul replied. Maka nodded, understanding her Weapon's wish. "Hey, how about I introduce you to them?"

"Huh?" Maka frowned, cocking her head in confusion. Damn, Soul thought. She looks too cute when she does that. "Why would you do that?"

"Well, they all have been wanting to meet you since I went to Shibusen," Soul replied nonchalantly. "This is probably the best moment for us to do it." Maka's eyebrows furrowed, but she nodded.

"Alright then," she conceded. "Let's go meet them."

Soul grinned before leading Maka downstairs and into the dining room. Around a long, dark mahogany table sat five figures. Lilian looked up from her cup of tea and smiled at Soul and Maka as they entered while William read his paper, a mug of black coffee sat before him, not looking up to acknowledge them. Three other people sat around the table; one the spitting image of Soul, though his eyes were more purple than Soul's crimson, he was also slightly taller and his hair was longer but more tame; on this man's left, and William's right, sat the young girl from the night before, Rosie; opposite the young man, and on Lilian's left, was an elderly woman who was short in stature and had silvery white, curly hair. This woman turned to Maka and smiled.

"Well," she spoke softly, her gentle grey-blue irises scanning over Maka's figure and making the Meister a little nervous. "I see our little Soul has finally decided to reveal his Meister to us. It is good to see you are paired with such a lovely young lady." Maka blushed.

"Uh, thank you, Mrs Evans," Maka smiled, bowing slightly. Soul chuckled.

"Granny's not Mrs Evans," he corrected. "Maka, this is my grandmother on mum's side, Holly McCarthy. Granny, this is my Meister, Maka Albarn."

"It's a pleasure, deary," Holly smiled. This time, now that she was not in a state of shock, Maka could pinpoint a faint Irish accent in the older woman's tone.

"You have already met my mother and father," Soul went on. "And my little sister, Rosaline. Last on the list is my brother, Wes." The man in question rose and smiled, walking over to Maka and extending his hand to her.

"I've heard a lot about you, miss Albarn," he said courteously. He took her hand gently in his and laid a soft peck upon it, much to Soul's agitation. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Um," Maka faltered, blushing. "Thank you."

"Would you like something to drink, Maka, Soul?" Lilian asked, standing up from her position.

"Actually, we need to head off, mum," Soul replied for himself and his Meister. "Something's going on at Shibusen; we've been ordered back as soon as possible."

"Oh," Lilian looked shocked by how sudden it was. "Must you dear? My, you certainly live busy lives as Meisters and Weapons."

"Yeah, you could say that," Soul replied. He smiled a little. "Goodbye, everyone."

"Goodbye, Soul," Wes smiled, shaking hands with his brother. "It was good seeing you again."

"Take care, Soul," Holly smiled endearingly. "Don't be a stranger."

"Yes, and please bring Maka back some time," Lilian added. William looked up, placing his paper on the table, and walked over to Soul, pulling out a bundle of black silk.

"Your grandfather wanted me to give you this when the time was right," he told Soul, handing the bundle to him. "I don't think there is a better time than now."

Soul gave a confused look as he opened the bundle, the ebony silk parting to almost perfect silver. Plucking up the silver chain attached to the circular device and raising it, Soul saw the item was a silver pocket watch with the crest of the Evans family, a red shield with yellow divisions surrounded by white stars on one side and black spines on the other, a trio of small souls occupying each of the top left and bottom right shield panels while green musical notes took the top right and bottom left, covering the hunter, the Royal Irish Rangers emblem in the central point of the shield. Soul looked up at his father.

"I am proud of you, Solomon," he smiled. "And I know my father is proud of your work too."

"Dad..." Soul started, but he had already moved off and bid Maka goodbye. Soul smiled a little, then turned to Maka, who had just said goodbye to Lilian. "Come on, Maka, let's get going."

"Right!" Maka nodded. She turned to the family one last time. "Thank you all for your help."

"No trouble, dear," Lilian smiled. "Come back some time."

"I will," Maka agreed. With that, Soul transformed into his scythe form and fell into Maka's awaiting grip. "Goodbye, everyone."

The Weapon and Meister began to resonate as they left the grand building, Maka's wings taking shape as they leapt into the air, heading for their destination at full speed.

* * *

><p><strong><em><em>Shibusen, Death Room<em>_**

Maka and Soul stepped inside the huge room and into the group gathered at the central platform. They saw that the group was made up of the members of Spartoi, along with Stein, Spirit and Lord Death. They walked onto the platform, the group gathered there acknowledging them immediately.

"Sorry, everyone," Maka said. "We got caught out against an entity of Madness, but it has been dealt with."

"That is good news, Maka," Lord Death nodded, his tone missing its usual jovial, light-heartedness. "Following the update I received from Soul Eater, we were contacted by the Black Knight in the Death Room." Soul's eyes widened.

"What did you say?" he asked. "How is that possible? I thought the Death Room couldn't be reached by an outsider?"

"That is how it should be," Stein confirmed, taking a long drag from his cigarette. "However, it seems the particular wavelength not only jams Soul Perception and intensifies the user's strength, but it has the ability to pierce even the high security in the Death Room."

"What was the message?" Maka asked. Spirit sighed before speaking up.

"It gave us an ultimatum," he replied. "'To members of Spartoi, come to the coordinates enclosed within my transmission at 0 hundred hours, or I will destroy Shibusen. Bring no one but Spartoi members, or I shall destroy Shibusen.' That was all it said."

"This was expected," Kai added, his arms folded and his eyes down-turned. "But the scale of the battle will be huge. As such, I recommend that Crona stay here for this. Also, we will all need to do further training before the battle."

"According to the coordinates," Lord Death announced. "You will be travelling for three hours at a pace which will not limit your fighting capabilities, therefore we only have nine hours remaining before deployment. All members of Spartoi are to engage in priority one training; Kai is to work with Maka and Soul; Kid, Liz and Patty are to help them. Black Star-"

"We already have our training," Black Star cut him off. "It's cool."

"Very well then," Lord Death nodded. "Crona, report to Crescent Moon classroom for training with Sid and Nygus." Lord Death swung his arm out in an arc. "Spartoi, to your posts!"

As the group headed for the training room, Soul and Black Star started talking about their missions, as did Maka and Tsubaki, though the former had a more pressing worry in mind.

"Hey, Tsubaki?" she asked. "What's wrong with Kid, Liz and Patty? They don't seem their usual selves." Tsubaki looked at the Meister and Weapons in question, her expression one of sympathy.

"Their mission was very taxing," she replied. Maka frowned, so Tsubaki elaborated. "I'm not sure exactly what happened, but they found something linked to Kai which... which killed a civilian in front of them." Maka gasped a little, raising her hands to her mouth.

"That's terrible," she managed. "What happened?"

"Something about my blood makes it toxic to humans," Kai's voice was dark as he spoke, cutting Tsubaki off. "It drives them into pure Madness with the slightest touch." Maka cocked an eyebrow, but Kai ignored it. "I'm going to go on ahead; I'll see you in there." With that, the Kishin Weapon spread his wings and took off down the corridor at full pelt. Maka turned to Tsubaki again as the taller girl spoke.

"Kid was asked by the civilian to execute him," Tsubaki added. "That's why Kid attacked Kai when he got back." Maka was stunned by this news, but did not press the matter. "Anyway, enough about that. How did your mission go?"

"Uh, not as smoothly as we thought it would," Maka replied, blushing as she thought of the way Soul had acted in the storm. "We came out a bit worse for wear, which is why we didn't come back yesterday." The blonde Meister evaded the point of Soul's house and family. "What about your mission?"

"No problem," Tsubaki smiled. "It was much easier than we thought it would be; we did not even take a hit." Maka's eyes widened.

"Wait, you mean Black Star didn't wreck his uniform?" she asked. Tsubaki shook her head, provoking a groan from Maka. "Great..."

"What is it, Maka?" Tsubaki asked curiously. The shorter girl turned to Tsubaki with a pitiful look.

"I owe Patty ten dollars," she complained.

After that discussion, the training room had loomed before them. Walking inside, they found Kai flying through the airspace above them all, flying rapidly and sporadically as if chasing an invisible target. Once he spotted the group watching him, he slowed and touched down once more, turning to Maka and Soul

"Alright, we don't have time to gawp aimlessly," he growled. "Let's go you two."

Sensing the tenseness of the Kishin Weapon, Maka and Soul quickly moved off from the group, which dispersed into their training sections. Once they were in position, Kai turned to Maka and Soul.

"I'll be training you two to utilise my power in combat," he explained. "It will be an important skill to have in this confrontation."

"What are you talking about?" Soul asked. "Maka's a Scythe Meister, and I'm a Weapon; how can we use your Weapon form if you're a sword?" Kai sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I'm not solely a sword, genius," he replied. "Weapons don't have to have a single form; look at Tsubaki." He took a breath to compose himself, then went back to his explanation. "My alternate states number only three, but they cover most things I would need.

"The first is my full offensive ability," Kai went on. "My dragon sword form is my most efficient form for attacking head on with no regard for protection, both autonomously and synchronously. My defensive capability, the dragonscale armour, increases either my own endurance or my wielder's, but the claws I use then allows some form of offence. The final form I call the dragon-charger.

"When I was developed into a Kishin Weapon, I was given the ability to boost a user's Soul Resonance with a Weapon or amplify their Soul Revolutions by a great deal. It was meant to strengthen the Kishin and be a manner of merging me to it, permanently strengthening the Kishin. That's what we will be training with."

"Alright," Maka nodded. "Let's get on with it."

While Kai transformed into his decided form, Black Star was sat down with the Enchanted Sword over his lap, black markings snaking up his arms and face, as well as black electricity pulsing around the Meister. Within the combined consciousness, the assassin stood on the surface of the watery land, Tsubaki stood opposite him with the sword there in her hand.

"Are you ready for this, Black Star?" she asked. "You may have control over the Enchanted Sword in its simplest form, but this will take more work than you have ever put in for training. To unlock its full potential, you must go one step further than before."

"I know that, Tsubaki," Black Star replied, rotating his neck with a satisfying crunch. "Ok, bring 'him' out."

Tsubaki nodded, raising her arm so that the tip of the blade pointed to the water below, then released the sword from her grip, letting it fade into the water. Dark undercurrents ripped through the aqueous body and began to surge upwards in four long streams, forming a four-legged creature with huge antlers. The creature began to turn white, black swirling patterns taking up the remainder of the huge figure.

"So," the being grunted, a cloud of white steam pouring from the snout. "You have returned, child. What do you want with me?"

"You've been holding out on me," Black Star replied coyly. "I won't accept that from my sword."

"Oh? You believe me to be yours now that I have leant you my power?" the deer cocked its head. "I am the Will of the Nakatsukasa Clan, not the plaything of a puny boy."

"How dare you?!" Black Star roared. "I am a God amongst men, you ingrate! I will not be denied my power!"

"You are foolish, boy," the deer shook its head. It looked down. "Tsubaki, I require your body to demonstrate the power I possess."

"Of course," Tsubaki nodded, allowing the deer to swarm around her in the form of black energy.

It wrapped and twisted itself around her body, marring the Weapon's form and transforming her into a combination of Tsubaki and the Will, the black markings covering her body and two large antlers emerging on her head, along with a long tail uncoiling behind her from the small of her back. The humanoid form of the Will looked up and at Black Star.

"So, child of darkness," it growled, a sword of darkness emerging in its hand. "Show me your great power."

* * *

><p><em><em>Ok, this one took me a lot longer than I thought; I kinda hit the wall face first 'cause of homework and getting used to A-level. Still, I'm trying to overcome everything as it comes at me.<em>_

__Anyway, I'll post again when I can, but I'm planning a fourth story to write (damn Gundam 00 for infecting my mind with ideas :/), so it may take some time.__

__Anyway, I'm off for now, everyone. Please let me know of what you liked and if you have any pointers for me that'd be appreciated too :)__


	12. Madness Within?

**Spoilers:**_ after the Anime and sort of from Manga chapter 62/3. You have been warnied._

**Warning(s): **_Possible swearing, mild/medium gore level potential, fluff._

**Pairing(s): **_SoMa, possibly some TsuStar and/or KidxLizxPatty_

**Brief: **_With the Kishin defeated, what new threats will rise up to face the heroes from Shibusen? Will Kid's words of warning when the Kishin was killed come true sooner than they thought? And can the Madness be eliminated completely before it consumes the world?_

**Disclaimer: **_Atsushi Okubo owns Soul Eater, not me._

* * *

><p><strong><span>Chapter Twelve: Deploy Spartoi; Madness Within?<span>**

The air crackled with energy, like static electricity from a television screen, as Maka attempted to channel her wavelength into Soul's scythe form in her hands, as well as the device around her torso, but, once again, the wavelengths lashed against one another and forced the resonance to prematurely shatter. She gritted her teeth angrily and sighed, sweat beaded on her brow.

"Dammit," she growled. "This isn't working!"

"Calm down," Kai snapped, the dragon head on her chest rolling its eyes. "Just focus on my wavelength."

"We've been doing this for too long with no results," Soul replied agitatedly. "Face it, this isn't working, genius!"

Kai sighed, trying to think of a way to make it easier. As he did so, Soul's red eye turned loathingly and enviously to the second weapon on his Meister's person.

Kai's 'dragon-charger', as he had dubbed it, took the form of a dragons head mounted on the chest of the wielder, held in place by two bindings which led over the shoulders, and a further two which melded into a single binding about the naval, leading up into the underside of the head. On this column was a single eye, which remained closed from the start. On the user's back sat a small turbine, the spine of the central spindle facing upwards, but the blades remained immobile. Kai's tongue audibly clicked as he finished thinking.

"Can't be helped," he conceded. "Soul, change back to human state; if Maka can use my power on her own, maybe it will be easier to integrate it into your Weapon form as well."

"What?" Soul asked, refusing to change. "Like hell I'm going to-" Suddenly, Maka growled, slamming Soul's blade into the rocky terrain before her. "Hey! Maka, what are you doing?"

"Enough arguing, Soul!" she snapped. "If you won't transform, I'll just stop using you for now. We have to get this learnt and developed before we fight again, and this might be our only chance to get it right." Soul blinked, then sighed, changing back. He sat on the floor, arms crossed as he watched the duo train.

"Fine," he replied. "I'm still not sure about it, but if you're cool with it, I guess I'll just have to sit back and watch." He offered Maka a smile, to which she smiled back, stepping back to prevent her wavelength from impacting Soul as she resonated with Kai.

"Thank you, Soul," she said, before closing her eyes to focus. "Alright, Soul Resonance."

"Matching Soul Revolutions," Kai informed anyone listening. The eye under the dragon head shot open, the iris bright red. "Souls matched, commence soul charge."

The blue illumination of Maka's soul appeared around her. Almost as soon as the turbine started up, a series of red electrical pulses shot out of the dragon-charger, spiking into the soul wavelength and enhancing its magnitude threefold while keeping it stable. Once it achieved the maximum level, the red energy subsided as Kai analysed the soul levels.

"Soul Revolutions at ten point six revolutions per second," he concluded. "Total exertion, forty three percent." The dragons head turned to Soul slightly. "Now, Soul, try joining the resonance pattern with Maka."

Reluctantly, Soul transformed, falling gently into Maka's gloved grip. The change was almost instantaneous, the blade of the scythe becoming marred by bright blue light and expanding into a huge, spiked mass of energy. As it levelled out, the energy formed a huge Witch Hunter, the great power it exerted on the air evident to all who laid eyes on it. Blue static crackled around the trio as they resonated in synchronous. It was terrific, amazing. It was...

It was too much for the Weapon to cope with. He cried out, his scar throbbing as if he was being ripped in two along the division in his own flesh. Startled, Maka's grip slackened, causing a great explosion of energy as the Witch Hunter destabilised around Soul's blade and dispersed into the air. The shockwave knocked Maka head over heels, Kai still attached and resonating with her, while Soul forcefully transformed back into his human form. The dust cloud kicked up obscured everyone from each other.

"Shit," Kai groaned, the eye on his weapon state closing before he changed back, standing beside Maka, who was struggling to come to terms with what had happened; her eyes were wide and panicky after the experience. "I wasn't expecting that."

"Where's Soul?" Maka asked quickly. "Soul! Where are you?" Silence. Time ticked by; a second, ten, a minute. She could take it no longer. Without a thought, she ran into the smokescreen. "Soul!"

It did not take long to find Soul; his form lay slumped in the crater where his Weapon form had practically exploded. He was scorched and beaten up, face down in the dirt. Rolling her partner over, Maka gasped and flinched back; his shirt was stained red in the same places she knew his scar was.

"Oh no..." she mustered, falling to her knees beside him. "Soul..."

"What?" his reply finally came; his voice was raspy and cracked, but it was clear he was trying to play down his injuries once again. "You're acting like this is a big deal... that's not cool, Maka."

"It's not cool to make your Meister think you're dead either, Soul," she scolded, but her tone was full of relief, though there was a thick edge of sorrow to it as well. She was silent for a moment, then, "You're hurt." Soul chuckled slightly, pulling himself gingerly up.

"No shit, Captain Obvious," he grunted, receiving a slap on the arm from his partner. "It's nothing."

"Nothing?!" Maka practically shrieked. "Soul, you're bleeding! A lot! You could have torn your scar open!" Soul's eyes went wide, though were not on Maka.

Again? he questioned silently. What's going on with that scar lately? Does it mean something?

"It's not like I intended on doing that," he replied gruffly. "It was just... a shock, I guess."

"You guess?" Kai asked sceptically. He had appeared behind Maka while the duo were talking. "What happened when you lost it?" Soul thought back to the moment, the searing pain and a brilliant light in his eyes. When he told Kai and Maka this, the former sighed exasperatedly, running a hand through his hand. "Great, just fan-bloody-tastic."

"What? It's not that bad," Soul replied. The Kishin Weapon stared at the Deathscythe as if he had sprouted a head from his elbow.

"Don't you know anything, idiot?" he snapped. "Those are signs of soul rending; that should not have happened at that level of power!" Soul raised an eyebrow, making Kai sigh again. The Kishin Weapon pinched the bridge of his nose. "You don't even know what soul rending is, do you?"

"I do," Maka's voice was dark and resentful. She turned to face Soul, her eyes as dark as her tone, tears filming her irises, her voice taking on a new sadness. "It happens when a soul is put under too much pressure in resonance; it starts to rip the person apart in body and mind, resulting in an unstable soul." Soul still looked a little confused. "It's the first step in making a Kishin without consuming human souls." Soul's eyes widened.

"What?" he asked. "Why hasn't this happened before? We've gone much further than this before now!"

"Something must have been holding you together in that time," Kai reasoned. "That, or something has destabilised your equilibrium." Soul thought back, and came to a realisation.

"That Clown," he said. "The Madness it radiated must have done it; that was when it first happened."

"What?" Soul turned to his Meister, who was staring back at him in disbelief. "You mean... You didn't tell me, and it happened before?" Before Soul could even think of a way to remedy his error, Maka was gone, running away from the spot where they stood at full pelt, her eyes blurred by her tears.

"Maka!" Soul shouted after her, but she was gone by the time the words came.

The scythe turned to Kai, who sighed and gestured his head for Soul to follow her. As he watched the duo leave the room, he could not help but feel worried about this turn of events.

"Typical," he mumbled. "Every time something good happens, there's always bad round the corner." He looked over to the other side of the room, his eyes drifting from Kid, who was practising with Liz and Patty, to Black Star, sat cross-legged on the ground with Tsubaki in resonance, then to the sky, a look of sadness evident on his face. "Time's like this, I really wish you were here..."

Deciding there was nothing more he could do, Kai transformed into his sword form, blade impaling the ground, and began a self resonance to enter his own world.

* * *

><p><strong><em><em>Inside of Enchanted Sword<em>_**

The assassin gritted his teeth as he took a moment to breathe. His ninja sword was not Tsubaki; it could not transform, nor could it resonate with him, but his opponent had no such problems; it was its own weapon. The Will of the Nakatsukasa Clan's sword was its own, its body borrowed from Tsubaki. As such, it was agile and lethal, as well as powerful.

This isn't going well, Black Star observed, noting the wound in his left arm. At this rate, will never know the truth about this sword. Mifune's words echoed in his mind.

"Black Star," the samurai had said. "In order for a swordsman to be great, he must know his sword's every strength and defect and memorise them to heart. A great man with a sword he can not understand will always fall to a weaker foe if they know their blade."

The Will moved again, lunging forth with great speed and forceful intent. As Black Star leapt forward to meet it, he felt himself slow and stumble; the water under his foot had given under him, and threw him off rhythm, making it impossible for the assassin to do anything beyond parry the strike. He took the left-handed punch in the jaw in full swing, then swung his left palm into the awaiting solar plexus, his wavelength shooting into the pressure point like an electrified spike into the core of his opponent. It coughed, backing up winded, but Black Star advanced quickly, cutting into the right arm with his short sword. As he did, a spark of yellow jumped from the wound to the sword, changing it to its Kusurigama mode. He gritted his teeth as he backed away, his plan scrapped due to this change of tool. The Will chuckled as it straightened up and turned to face the boy.

"You seem surprised," it noted. "I am one with Tsubaki now; is it not obvious that your weapon should change under her influence?"

"That's an underhanded technique," Black Star growled back. "Your God does not approve of such a style." The Will snorted.

"My God?" it questioned. "I have no God, you little fool; Gods are for mortals and fools such as yourself. I transcend the need for a God." It cocked its head. "Surely you are not serious that you are a God among humans; I am centuries old, and have faced many mortals stronger than you, and they all have succumbed to my power."

"You think of me as weak?" Black Star challenged.

"I think of you for what you truly are, Black Star," The Will replied bluntly. "You see, while you parade around, proclaiming yourself to be the most powerful of all, I know the truth, and that is that you are nothing without my power and Tsubaki's. It is your dependence on others which makes you weak."

"Shut your mouth!" Black Star spat, launching his left scythe at the beast, but it deflected the strike with ease. "I will not be berated by a creature like you!"

"Then prove your strength to me, foolish child!" The Will barked. They both lunged forward, stirring the water beneath them as they headed for another collision.

* * *

><p><strong><em><em>Shibusen Balcony<em>_**

Soul had been running all over the school, trying to find his Meister, but so far he had been without luck. He hurriedly ran up the steps of the north staircase, taking them three at a stride, and soon made it onto the third floor corridor.

"Dammit, Maka," he murmured. "Where did you go?"

"Hey, Soul!" came a voice. "Long time no see." Soul turned to the speaker, who turned out to be Kilik, the Pots perched on his shoulders. "What's up, man? You look worried about something."

"I can't explain now, Kilik," Soul sighed, rubbing his head. "I have to find Maka." Kilik looked surprised. "Have you seen her?"

"I saw her running down the hall like ten minutes ago," he replied. "She ran into a bunch of first years and didn't even stop to help them pick up their things; I thought something was up at the time, but she was gone before I could react." Soul nodded. "I don't know where she went after that." Soul's shoulders slumped at this.

"Ok, thanks, man," he said as he took off once again, leaving the Meister blinking in confusion in his wake.

Soul ran through the hallways and peered into the classrooms he passed, searching in vain until he reached the last place he could look; the balcony overlooking the grounds of Shibusen. Stopping at the railing, the Deathscythe looked around the grounds frantically, but the ash blonde Meister who wielded him was no where to be seen in the area. He clenched his jaw tight shut, gripping the railing tightly with white knuckles.

"Dammit," he growled, before rearing up. "DAMMIT, MAKA! WHERE ARE YOU?!" He huffed, letting his frustration out. And then he heard it; a stifled sob followed by a sniffle. Turning around, Soul found her, her knees hugged to her chest, her forehead resting on them. Cautiously, Soul moved forward, crouching before her guarded form, a hand coming to rest on her shoulder. "Maka..."

The change was instantaneous; she lunged, her arms swinging towards him with balled fists. Her first hit struck him in the chest, the second following suit. Her repeated strikes landed without fail, but her force was weak behind each punch, meaning Soul could easily withstand the hits from his Meister.

"You stupid bastard!" he heard her shouting as her onslaught continued. "Stupid! Moron! Idiot! Jerk! Bastard!" Slowly her punches became slower and weaker, her shouts lessening in volume and ferocity, until she was knelt on the ground, leaning on Soul with tears seeping from her eyes. "You... you dummy..."

Soul gently wrapped his arms around her shoulders, allowing her to let out her anger and sorrow into him.

"Why do you... have to hide these things from me?" she managed to choke out. "Don't you trust me, Soul?" She looked up, her eyes sad as they glistened in the fading sunlight.

"Of course I trust you," Soul replied calmly. "I've never doubted you, Maka; not since I met you. But every time I am suffering by my own doing, every time I am injured doing what I want to do, you beat yourself up over it."

"This isn't like last time, Soul," Maka cried. "You didn't get hurt protecting me; you're risking becoming a Kishin! It's more serious than you're making it out to be." Soul sighed, then went on.

"That's not going to happen," he replied, still as calm as before. "I know I can get passed it, be as we were before now, but I can't do it alone. I need you, Maka Albarn, I need my Meister by my side to be the Weapon I know I am."

Maka stared at Soul, her mouth slightly open with surprise, silent for a few moments as she soaked in his cool image and calmly-spoken words. He was right, she realised, that they could get passed any obstacle in their way together, just as they always had done. Finally, she smiled, her mouth closing as she did, and hugged Soul around the chest.

"You're right," she replied. "We'll get though it." Soul carefully helped her up, the duo still unknowingly locked in each other's embrace. "Let's see... This started when we met the Black Clown... You were fine against the Kishin, and he had a similar level of madness."

"Maybe its the little demon?" Soul suggested. "When we fought the Kishin, I could feel him stirring within me, but now I can't tell if he's even still there."

"Hm... Kai did say something must have thrown off your resonance pattern," Maka reasoned. "Maybe he balanced out your madness?"

"If that's the case, I'd better find a way to get him back..." Soul murmured. A cough caught both their attentions.

"I'm not interrupting, am I?" Kai asked from the doorway. "Only, I can't help but notice how... 'close' you two are." The partners realised what he meant and pulled apart, blushed furiously, much to the Kishin Weapon's amusement. "Anyway, we're going in a couple of hours; make sure you're prepared to leave and at the main gates to Death City by then."

With that, the man left, leaving the Scythe Meister and her Weapon to make final preparations of their own before their dire mission.

* * *

><p><em><em>Sorry for the delay, I've been screwed over several ways this last fortnight.<em>_

__I'll post again as soon as possible, but I can't tell when that will be, especially with multiple other things needing my attention.__

__Any-hoo, I'll bid you adieu for now. Please let me know what you thought of this chapter, it helps me greatly.__


	13. All-Out Offence

**Spoilers:**_ after the Anime and sort of from Manga chapter 62/3. You have been warnied._

**Warning(s): **_Possible swearing, mild/medium gore level potential, fluff._

**Pairing(s): **_SoMa, possibly some TsuStar and/or KidxLizxPatty_

**Brief: **_With the Kishin defeated, what new threats will rise up to face the heroes from Shibusen? Will Kid's words of warning when the Kishin was killed come true sooner than they thought? And can the Madness be eliminated completely before it consumes the world?_

**Disclaimer: **_Atsushi Okubo owns Soul Eater, not me._

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:**__ Oh, wow, it's been a long time, hasn't it? I'm so so sorry for the delay (about three months of it ¬_¬') but I've had exams and all sorts of other crap to contend with, including a massive writer's block which I've just pushed past._

_But, I am back now, and I will be moving through updates a little faster (hopefully) as I've put one of my other stories on hiatus until this one is finished or until I say otherwise. For now, though, I'll leave you with this chapter; enjoy!_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Thirteen: All-Out Offence; Infiltrate the Black Fortress!<strong>

The group all looked pensive over what was to happen; gathered in the back of the truck which Sid was driving towards their destination, the members of Spartoi were anxious and nervously awaiting arrival. Kid still looked as irate and sorrowful as he had before they left, and even Patty's usually over-enthusiasm was dissolved by the mission ahead. Black Star looked a combination of frustrated and tired, though no one pressed the matter.

Maka glanced to her right to Soul, who appeared to have his mind on other things. Despite knowing they would overcome their resonance issues at some stage, Maka was worried for her Weapon's safety should they have to push themselves beyond what they had managed in England. As if sensing her worries, Soul looked up and across to her, gently squeezing her hand with a reassuring smile. She smiled weakly back. Her attention then fell upon the last two people in the group.

Crona was fidgeting with his left cuff, looking pensive and nervous, or rather more so than usual. Kai, on the other hand, was leaned back with his eyes closed, seemingly asleep. How anyone could be so at ease in this situation was beyond Maka, but she did not raise the point, trying not to stress people out more than they currently were. After a nearly silent journey, about twenty minutes away from their destination, Kid cleared his throat and spoke up.

"We're almost at the coordinates, so I'll be brief," he said. "When we get to where the Black Knight is hiding, we will most likely be unable to communicate clearly to one another, therefore we need a plan of action. We do not know who or what else will be with him, so we will have to be tactical as well."

"You be tactical," Kai said, rolling his head without opening his eyes. "I'm going straight for the knight; I've got a score to settle with him."

"Be reasonable," Kid growled, eyes glowing venomously. "If we split up and spread ourselves too far apart, we won't know if someone is in trouble until it is too late. We should stick together and fight our way through as one."

"And what if we are forced to part ways?" Kai returned, opening his eyes. "What of your plan then? We will be exposed if that happens."

"If we do it your way, we will definitely be exposed!" Kid's tone was growing more irritated by the Kishin Weapon's laid back demeanour. "We-"

"Stop it!"Maka barked, cutting him off. "Both of you; stop arguing! This is getting us no where. I don't know what happened on your mission, Kid, but this is not the way a team is meant to work." The young Grim Reaper bowed his head shamefully while the Weapon simply nodded. "Now, assuming that we come across more than just the Black Knight, we will have to split up to save time. But we'll cross that bridge when we reach it. Until then, we will stick together and watch each other's backs, got it?" No one moved or even thought of objecting, so Maka simply nodded. "Good."

Abruptly, the truck stopped, throwing the group sideways as it slid to a halt on the slippery ground beneath the tyres. They regained their composure and hurried out of the truck, only to freeze at the sight before them. In the dark of the coming midnight, aided by the light of the moon alone, the base of their opponent was truly terrifying. It was an old, medieval-styled fortress, a dark patchwork of brick, corroded metal and rotten-looking wood. The portcullis sat before the large double doors within the mouth of a serpentine skull. Two large red pupils rolled inside the sockets, making it seem that the building was a living thing in itself, which was not as insane as it might sound, considering what the group had seen between them. Six thick chains dug themselves into the sandy ground around the building, anchoring the structure, while a huge spire lay at the centre of the compound, the Kishin's emblem evident on the walls. Kid finally broke the silence with a dark snort.

"Disgusting," he growled. "Such a waste of perfectly good symmetry." Maka blinked, amazed that Kid was not marvelling at the symmetry as he usually did. With a loud clunk and the metallic scraping of metal on metal and metal on stone which echoed throughout the dunes, the heavy gate lurched upwards, granting the group passage. "Liz, Patty, be ready."

The sisters nodded, transforming in a flash of pink light and falling into their Meister's hands. Tsubaki also changed, the short-bladed ninja sword falling obediently into Black Star's right hand. Maka turned to Soul and held out her hand. He grinned back, taking the hand in his and transforming into his scythe form. The three Meisters walked into the gateway with Kai and Crona close behind. No sooner had they entered the building did the gate come crashing down again and the doors slammed shut and locked.

"Welcome, Spartoi," the unmistakeable voice of the Black Knight boomed from the very walls. "I am glad to see you were quick to get here. Now we can watch the end together."

"Enough of this!" Kid said firmly, suppressing his anger as best he could. "Show yourself to us!"

"Where's the fun in that?" the Knight asked as the structure shuddered and shook. "If you want to find me, walk down the corridor. You'll know when to stop."

"I don't like this," Soul's voice said firmly. "It could be a trap."

"Agreed," Kai nodded. "But do we have any other choice?" Without another word, Kai moved forward and down the dimly lit corridor ahead. The others exchanged looks for a moment, then began to follow him, until they all reached a round room with four pathways up ahead. "Great... Now which way do we go?"

"All of them," came the reply through the walls. A painting of the Knight lay in the central division between the corridors, and began to ripple, making the image move. "You'll find me down all of these routes, but only one is unguarded. I will leave it to you to decide who will go which way." The painted stopped rippling and the voice fell silent, prompting the group to turn to one another.

"H-how are we going to split up?" Crona asked anxiously. Maka thought for a moment, then leant Soul against the floor, closing her eyes.

"I'll try to use my soul perception," she said. "Maybe we can find out who or what else is here."

Inside his weapon form, Soul spread his arms, a tangle of spiders webs surging out from him. He then moved his right arm across his chest, a scythe blade protruding from the outer edge, but the cutting blade was replaced by a series of keyboard keys.

"Let's see if I can tap into Arachne's network," he said to himself. "Maka, follow my wavelength." He pressed his fingers to the keys, playing a light, flowing melody. "Soul Searching Melody."

A blue aura shone around Maka and Soul, the room filling with the music. While the others listened, Maka's soul embraced the music, following its flow down each pathway. After a few minutes, the music faded and the glow subsided. Maka opened her eyes and balanced Soul on her shoulder.

"There is a powerful soul reaction down the furthest corridor," she noted. "But it was not very distorted; it's not the Knight, but it is powerful. There's another down this one," She pointed to the corridor on the right-centre. "It's familiar, but I can't tell why. It feels warped, but it does not match his wavelength. The Knight is down this one... I think." She pointed to the left-hand centre corridor. "It's hard to tell though. The last route had no response, but it may be an illusion or a well-hidden reaction..."

"Well then," Kai said, turning to the second route from the left. "I'll go this way."

"Tsubaki and I will take this one," Black Star decided, pointing to the first from the right.

"In that case, I will go this way," Kid said, stepping up to the first corridor to the left. Maka nodded and moved to the last remaining route. She turned to Crona as the others had already left.

"Go after Kai," she said softly. "Your abilities are similar; maybe he can teach you how to use Ragnorok fully while you're fighting." Crona nodded.

"B-be careful, M-Maka," he said shakily, before running down the corridor. Maka turned down the corridor, breathed in deep and nodded to herself.

"Let's go, Soul!" she said, taking off into a sprint, eager to discover the opponent she was up against, and why they felt so familiar.

* * *

><p><strong><em><em>Far Right Passage<em>_**

Black Star kept moving, the memories of the training within himself and the Enchanted Sword replaying again in his mind's eye as he fell to his knee once more. The Will's words echoed once more in his head; "You will never achieve such selfish dreams. Until you learn the truth of a fight, I can not allow my full power to be used by such a puny being."

"Damn bastard," he grumbled. "What did he mean by that? He could have at least pointed his God in one direction."

"Maybe you're over-thinking this," Tsubaki suggested, but their conversation was cut short as they emerged into a round, large room.

It was a very bland room in itself; the walls were bare apart from a handful of torn and faded paintings and a number of torches. As they stepped into the room, a metal door slammed over the entrance to the room, the torches bursting into flames and illuminating the room in a dark, ominous purple. Walking in further, Black Star realised they were inside a ring of pillars, making the place seem more like the insides of an ancient battle ground. The ground turned to orange-red sand under foot as he kept walking.

At the centre of the room, perched upon a pedestal which stood only a metre or so high, sat a figure, a woman. From what he could tell, she was about twenty, maybe younger, with fiery hair which led down to her naval at the front, her bangs cut away jaggedly above the eye line, revealing her frosted steel gaze. She wore strange clothes; a light purple undershirt and bikini-bottom-like lower half beneath a thick black cloak, the hood covering her head except for the face, and a pair of long black boots with a flat sole. She peered up at Black Star and smiled.

"Oh, you're here," she said pleasantly. Her voice sounded delicate and jovial. "I'm glad; it was getting boring here on my own. Oh, and you're a real cutie too!"

"Who are you?" Black Star asked, unfazed.

"Shame you're so dull," the woman pouted. "They call me Blaze. I'm a Dark Witch. You know what that is, hun?" When no response came, Blaze giggled. "It means I'm a witch who isn't affiliated with the other witches. We tend to be tougher 'cause we don't have any limits and laws to abide by."

"Is the Black Knight beyond here?" Black Star asked. Blaze nodded.

"Yup," she grinned. "But you gotta beat me first!" Her eyes narrowed into a coy look. "So, what's your name, cutie?"

"I am the great Black Star!" he roared in return. "The one who will surpass God and the Meister of the Dark Arm Deathscythe, Tsubaki Nakatsukasa!"

"Oh, how boring," Blaze yawned. "A long winded, overzealous child. I had hoped for better, but beggers can't be choosers, I guess." She stood, dusting off her backside, and mule-kicked the pedestal, reducing it to powder and stone shards. Black Star's eyes widened at this display of strength from someone who looked so fragile and thin. "Try to make this interesting, 'kay, Black Star?"

Black Star tightened his grip on Tsubaki, channelling his wavelength into his Weapon, and grinned.

"It is you who will have to make this interesting!" he declared, shooting forward using his Speed Star technique. "Take this!" He swung the sword at the witch, who did not move as it arced towards her.

"Release limits level 1," she purred, a purple aura emanating around her. The energy spiked outwards and shoved Black Star away like an oversized rag doll. Blaze turned to him as he stopped on the slippery sand. "If that's the best you have, you had best quit now."

Black Star gritted his teeth as he set off again, having no intention of giving in then and there.

* * *

><p><strong><em><em>Near Left Passage<em>_**

Kai stopped in the room and looked around with intrigue. He had seen the underside of Shibusen before, and the room he stood in now resembled the catacombs well; shadows clung to every part of the way ahead, barely any light visible down the corridor made by the pillars and arches all around. He frowned, stepping inside.

"Why go to all this trouble?" he wondered. "Is it meant to mean something to me?" A light whimper behind him drew his attention to Crona, who was shaking at the sight of the room. "Hey, Crona. What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Th-this place..." he murmured. "Is where is started..." Kai looked puzzled.

"You mean you've been here before?" he asked. Crona nodded.

"S-sort of," he replied. "Th-this is wh-where I f-fought Maka b-before I j-joined Shibusen." He gripped his right arm awkwardly. As if the action calmed him, Crona started to speak more levelly and stopped shaking. "I don't know what is going on. I don't know how to deal with this place again." Kai smiled and placed a hand on Crona's shoulder.

"'S'alright," he reassured the Demon Swordsman. "I'll help you through this." Crona smiled meekly, but it soon faded to a look of dread as a voice echoed from ahead.

"How nice of you to join us," it said. The voice was female, almost sickly in the false sincerity in the tone. "I see you've made a new friend, Crona. That's good; I'm so proud of you."

"N-no..." Crona managed. "It can't be you... It can't be!"

The floor began to ripple a short way ahead of them as something began to emerge from the ground. As it began to surface, the being was shown to be rather small, coated in a dark substance which resembled Black Blood. Slowly, the dark ooze began to roll down the figure, seeping into the floor and staining the stone black. The being was small and almost malformed in appearance; the creature was purple with rings of black encircling it all over, resembling a larvae of sorts or a crescent moon in shape, but the design was obscured further by the red lips and yellowed set of teeth between them, a vertical protrusion jutting from the top of the upper lip as if it were an eye. Several spiked protrusions appeared around the lower half, from just below the mouth in height, forming a sort of frill. The creature opened it's mouth and leant forward, a torrent of black pouring onto the floor. Kai had a look of disgust on his face at the sight of this, while Crona shook more in fear.

"It had been so long," the voice said again, but it was not coming from the small being, but rather the mass of black on the ground, which was proceeding to rear up and twist into a humanoid form. "Since I saw you with my own eyes, Crona. And finally I can lay eyes on you."

"I-it c-can't b-b-be y-you!" Crona protested anxiously and worriedly. "I-I s-s-saw you d-d-d-die!"

"Oh, my dear child," the voice hissed as it's body stood up straight and began to become animated. "Did you truly believe that such a pathetic girl could beat me with such a detestable move? I am more than a body, dear Crona. You should know that by now."

"Crona, just who the hell is this?" Kai asked, not taking his eyes off of the two creatures in front of them. The humanoid figure began to lose its covering of black, parting to reveal a pair of sinister yellow eyes and white skin.

"Th-t-that's... m-my m-mo-mother!" the timid boy blurted out. Kai's eyes widened as the figure finally came into full view.

"What did you say?" he asked rhetorically.

The woman bared her teeth at the two of them, revealing the full body that was Medusa Gorgon, but with differences; she now had hair as black as tar, a white spiders web pattern on the right side of her clothing, and a pair of spider tattoos on her ankles.

"It's good to be back, son," she sneered, the creature behind her settling onto her shoulder like a pet hawk. "Did you miss mummy?"

* * *

><p><strong><em><em>Near Right Passage<em>_**

The sound of Maka's shoes pounding on the stone floor reverberated all around the corridor as the Scythe Meister ran down the route she had given herself, Soul resting in her grip and leaned on her shoulder. A tremor caught them off-guard, making Maka stop dead in her tracks, focussing on the source of the tremor.

"A witch," she said. "That's what Black Star is up against."

"He'll be fine," Soul reassured his Meister. "Like a witch would ever beat Black Star."

"Yeah," Maka nodded, distracted. Soul frowned, his reflection appearing in the blade of his Weapon form.

"What is it?" he asked, knowing something was wrong.

"This sensation," she replied, pausing. "I recognise it, but... how could that-" The girl was cut short as she felt something spike. She opened her eyes wide and gasped. "No... that can't be..." Soul could feel it as well through his resonance link with Maka.

"No way," he said. "We cut her down, she can't be alive... can she?"

"She must have found a way to escape," Maka growled, punching the wall in frustration. "Dammit! Why did I send Crona that way?! I'm such an idiot!"

"Hey, cut that out," Soul said firmly. "You couldn't have known. We'll just have to fight through this route; you know Crona will get through his." Maka sighed.

"You're right," she conceded with a nod. "Thanks, Soul." She started back off running.

"No problem," he replied. "What kind of Deathscythe wouldn't have his partner's back? That'd just be uncool."

Maka giggled at this as they came out of the corridors end. She looked around the room, but a thick purplish fog bore down on the area, obscuring everything from sight. It was also could, almost icily and ominously so, as if the atmosphere in the room was reacting to what was to come for them. The Meister pulled her coat a little tighter around herself as she walked forwards once more, keeping an eye out for their opponent, who soon made themselves known. The being sat in the branches of a tall, dead tree atop a hill, all of which seemed rather familiar. When they saw the being in their full glory, the duo stopped dead, staring wide-eyed at their enemy.

"No way," Soul managed to say. The creature laughed in the same voice as it had the last time they had met.

"Well, isn't this a surprise?" it said gleefully, in a sadistic way. "I bet you thought I was gone, right?" The creature laughed again, swinging out of the tree and landing on the ground with a thud. "I am an embodiment of Madness, I cannot die as long as Madness exists!" It reared up. "I am the Mad Clown!"

Maka tightened her grip on Soul, holding his handle in both hands. As if acknowledging her intent to eliminate the foe, Soul's wavelength pulsed and flickered briefly before matching hers seamlessly. She moved her right foot backward slightly into a strong but defensive position, focussing on the Clown. When it did not make a move, Maka sprung forwards, Soul's blade at the ready.

"Let's go!" she shouted, focussing her wavelength and Soul's. Sensing what was coming, Soul tensed himself and prepared to give it his all.

* * *

><p><strong><em><em>Far Left Passage<em>_**

Kid stayed focussed on the way ahead, using Beelzebub to traverse the lengthy and winding corridor quickly. In their joint subconscious, the Thompsons looked nervously at one another.

"How much longer is this corridor going to go?" Liz wondered aloud. Patty turned to her sister and shrugged.

"It won't be much longer," Kid replied to his Weapons while still focussing on the route ahead. "I can feel it now." Liz nodded, pausing for a moment.

"Kid," she finally said. "About what happened in Niglesh-"

"Sis," Patty cut her off, shaking her head, as if warning her that it was not the time.

"There was nothing you could do," Liz went on. "So don't beat yourself up about it." Kid was silent for a minute, then sighed.

"I'm sorry," he replied at last. "I've been distant to you girls, haven't I? I've been hurting my Weapons as well as myself." His eyes were full of remorse as he looked to the pistols. "I don't deserve to wield you two."

"Don't be ridiculous!" Patty snapped, looking more angered by these words than anything before. "Of course you do! Would we still be here if you didn't?!" Liz and Kid blinked.

"Patty's right," Liz finally said. "We're a team, Kid. Just remember that." The young Shinigami smiled at this.

"Thanks, Liz, Patty," he said as they emerged in a room at the end of the corridor. Abruptly, Beelzebub vapourised, leaving Kid standing on the stone floor of what appeared to be a throne room, but there was no sign of a throne, only an armoured figure standing at the top of the stairs at the centre of the room. "You."

"Yes, me," the Black Knight agreed. He cocked his head with intrigue. "I see, going by your actions so far, that you are displeased with the way things went in Niglesh. In that case, I will let you in on a secret." Kid glared at the opponent before them, prompting him to go on. "The data from that site, the things created in Project Armoured Sword, is the basis on which I was formed. By extension, I am the amalgamation of the very thing you despise so." Kid's glare intensified.

"In that case," he said, moving his body into an unusual, angular stance. "In the name of all those you have killed and who were killed to create you, Black Knight, I judge you! Death God Martial Art – Stance of Sin!" The young Shinigami glowered. "I will defeat you, Black Knight." The Madness Transponder drew his sword with a sound of pleasure.

"You can try, son of Death," he replied. "The question is, can you do it before my siege on Death City?"

* * *

><p><strong><em><em>Outside the Black Fortress<em>_**

Sid and Nygus watched in horror as the fortress shuddered. The members of Spartoi had barely entered the place, but it had suddenly started to move and tremble. Suddenly, the chain furthest from the truck lurched upwards, pulling a huge foot from the sand. The foot crashed down, sending a shudder all around, before another appeared, and another.

"What in the world is this?" Nygus asked. Suddenly, the last chain, the one nearest them, rose above the vehicle, casting a shadow over both it and the two occupants.

"Nygus, look out!" Sid shouted, grabbing the woman and pulling her from the truck, moving away from the truck just as the metal sole came crashing down upon it, smashing it to pieces. "Are you ok?"

Nygus nodded, their gazes returning to the fortress as two large plumes of smoke erupted from two of the smaller towers inside the complex, a pair of cannons appeared over the walls, and the skull which served as the entrance shifted upwards on a makeshift neck. The hulking behemoth of a city had become a siege engine of immense proportions. As it heaved itself from the sand and began on it's way, Sid pulled out a mirror and wrote the number 42-42-564 in the fogged mirror.

"Sir," the zombie said to the image of Lord Death. "Spartoi have successfully entered the enemy's fortress, but we have a problem; it's moving."

"Moving?" Lord Death asked, surprised. "Moving where?"

Sid took a look at the direction the machine was moving in and breathed a gasp.

"Towards Death City," he said. "It's heading for you, Lord Death."

The machine was quite a way away now, and neither Sid nor Nygus could make out the silhouette of a person as they leapt from a sand dune nearby and scaled the behemoth's leg.

* * *

><p><em><em>Well, I hope this was worth the wait, everyone. I'm very sorry it took so long, but I am trying to balance out a lot of work with this, as well as other things I'm doing.<em>_

__So, just to remind you all of the routes, people on them and their opponents;__

* * *

><p><em><em>Far Left – Kid – Black Knight<em>_

__Near Left – Kai/Crona – Purple Clown/Medusa__

__Near Right – Maka – Mad Clown__

__Far Right – Black Star – Dark Witch (Blaze)__

* * *

><p><em><em>Oh, and I realise, looking back, I called the Mad Clown the Black Clown in previous chapter; that was a mistake I made. Followers of the manga probably know why.<em>_

__And sorry for the lack of fights in this chapter; I wanted to set the stage for the final stages of this story.__

__Before I go, I want to ask you all this; would you like this story to have a continuation (or two) or keep it as a stand alone? Let me know in the reviews.__

__Until next time, everyone!__


	14. Moving Target

**Spoilers:**_ after the Anime and sort of from Manga chapter 62/3. You have been warnied._

**Warning(s): **_Possible swearing, mild/medium gore level potential, fluff._

**Pairing(s): **_SoMa, possibly some TsuStar and/or KidxLizxPatty_

**Brief: **_With the Kishin defeated, what new threats will rise up to face the heroes from Shibusen? Will Kid's words of warning when the Kishin was killed come true sooner than they thought? And can the Madness be eliminated completely before it consumes the world?_

**Disclaimer: **_Atsushi Okubo owns Soul Eater, not me._

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter Fourteen: Moving Target; The Impending Siege?<strong>_

__**Throne Room**__

_Kid frowned as the building shuddered, a loud series of clunks and grinding of gears echoing within the walls and beneath the floor._

_"What's going on?" he asked, glaring at the armoured figure before him. "What did you do?"_

_"I'm surprised you do not know, son of Death," the knight replied ominously. "Do you not remember the siege of Baba Yaga Castle?" Kid's eyes widened. "Ah, so you do remember."_

_"Where are we going?" Kid growled, fed up of the Madness Transponder's games._

_"You're beloved father," the Black Knight explained. "He must pay for all he has done. I will use the Black Fortress to crush Shibusen and raze Death City. Without Brew there to protect you this time, your precious city will be reduced to ashes and lain to waste."_

_"You bastard!" Kid shouted, offloading a series of shots in quick succession. The soul rounds bounced off of the Knight's shield, leaving barely a scuff on the dark armour. "I will kill you!"_

_"You can try," the Black Knight replied, stepping down from his place at the top of the stairs and pointing his blade at Kid. "But I think you'll die before that happens."_

_They stood, readied and staring before Kid moved first, using his agility to move round the Knight, firing as he did to try and lay a direct hit on the figure. He sprinted high, jumping off the stairs and attempting to use Beelzebub, but the board did not form as he had intended._

_"What the hell?" he asked, distracted only for a moment or two, but it was enough; the Knight lunged, shield-bashing him square in the face and knocking the Shinigami off balance._

_The sword swung in and caught him in the left side, lacerating the white clothes and dying them crimson beneath its touch. Kid winced as he put some distance between them, firing faster and faster, but the shots glanced off of the armour like they were foam bullets against a tank. Knowing it was not working, Kid focused, pouring his wavelength into Liz and Patty at once._

_"Soul Resonance!" the girls shouted, matching their Meister's soul and hearing his wordless order. The pistols transformed, becoming the golden cannons of their resonating form. Six black protrusions sprouted from Kid's arms as they took shape over his forearms._

_"Resonance stable," Liz said. "Noise is at eleven point seven percent."_

_"Black needle wavelength charged," Patty confirmed. "Adjusting for noise levels." A red HUD beamed from each of the weapons, displaying the noise levels and power spikes. The power levels fluctuated for a moment, then stabilised. "Ready to fire, Kid."_

_"Death Cannon!" Kid roared, unleashing the dual orange blasts from his weapons. The shots spiralled around one another as they tore forwards, striking the Black Knight head on. A plume of smoke erupted from the side of the room as the blasts hit their target and continued passed, __slamming into the wall, while the other side cracked a little as Kid was flung into the wall under the force of the shots. He raised his head, glad he had not broken his spine, let alone his arms, in firing the shots with so much power. "Did it work?" he wondered, staring into the smoke. He felt something stir. "No..."_

_"Yes," the Knight nodded, stepping out of the smokescreen. "That is the power of a Shinigami, eh? How very disappointing, I had hoped for more than this."_

_The Transponder's armour was singed in places, smoking slightly and marked in areas around the initial hit. Behind him, fires burnt from the discharge and a hole had formed in the back wall, revealing a few rusty-looking gears turning lazily inside. Despite the power of the explosion, they seemed unharmed, troubling the young Shinigami._

_"So, son of Death," the Black Knight went on. "Where is your passion now? Where is that fire which you possessed?"_

_"I will still defeat you," Kid growled. "You may be powerful, but the power of a Meister and his Weapons resonating will be the end of you."_

_"Is that so?" the Knight ask, a red-purple aura surrounding his body as he spoke. "Then take this into account, child; I am no ordinary Kishin soul. My Corrupted Arms, this sword and shield, were once one of your precious Shibusen's Weapons!" Kid's eyes shot open wide at this. "Let me show you the power I possess! Resonate!"_

_A dark, fiery aura shrouded the sword, shield and lower body of the knight, pulsing with energy and Madness. Kid could only stare as the Knight resonated with its weaponry, the vision of pure evil coming into full view before him._

* * *

><p><em><em><strong>Catacomb Room<strong>__

_Kai stared at the woman who had materialised from the black goo the strange crescent creature had spewed onto the floor, then back to Crona, who was shuddering uncontrollably._

_"Your mother?" he asked, turning to see the grinning woman. "That's Medusa Gorgon?"_

_"Oh my, how interesting," the snake-woman said with mocking surprise. "You're a sharp one, aren't you? I can't say I've met you before, but your soul seems familiar."_

_"I'm not surprised," Kai replied levelly. "Your research into Black Blood, it was inspired by the experiment which created me."_

_"So that makes you Project Vulcan, right?" Medusa hissed. Kai tensed at the name, but stayed firm. "So, you've finally shown up again; I did wonder how long you could stay hidden, especially with that Meister of yours hurt so badly-"_

_"How do you know about that?" Kai snapped, cutting her off._

_"My my, so easily goaded," she tutted. "I was certain my faithful servant would get to you, but I had no idea you would abandon your Meister to join Death."_

_"Shut up!" Kai barked, his right hand and forearm changing into a sword blade. "You're the one responsible! I'll make you suffer for what you did to Abby!"_

_"But we've hardly been acquainted," Medusa pouted mockingly. "I am Medusa Gorgon, and this is my project, the Purple-Dyed Clown. And you are?"_

_"Kai Friel," Kai replied. "The Kishin Weapon known as Project Vulcan, and the man who will kill you for what you have done to my Meister!"_

_Without waiting for Crona to move with him, Kai lunged, jabbing wildly with his bladed arm while Medusa backed up, dodging his attacks in rapid succession. Her back touched the pillar behind her, __and he swung in a horizontal line, aiming for her neck, but the witch ducked and the angered Weapon's blade crashed through the pillar as he missed his target._

_"How unruly you are," Medusa hissed in mock offence. "Let me fix that." The witch raised her arms over her head, then aimed her palms at Kai. "Vector Arrow!"_

_Sharp, arrow-tipped tendrils fired out from her back, weaving rapidly this way and that as they closed in on the Weapon. He dodged some and hardened his arms using his Dragonscale Armour form to defend himself against the magic as it attacked. His fury only grew as he was scratched by the attack, a line of blood etched across his cheek. As the Kishin Weapon continued his onslaught, Crona watched the battle from the sidelines, trembling all the time. He wanted to help, truly he did, but he could not will himself to get involved in the battle._

_"What do I do?" he murmured worriedly. "Ragnorok, what should we do?"_

_"How should I know?" the liquified Weapon asked, still nervous of Medusa when she was on the opposite side. "You're meant to be the Meister, idiot!"_

_Their conversation was cut short as Crona felt a sudden presence behind him. He turned and his eyes went wide as he saw the yellowed, sharp teeth in the deformed mouth._

_"Goobee?" the crescent-shaped creature purred as it fired its frill outward and latched on to Crona._

* * *

><p><em><em><strong>England Room<strong>__

_Maka swung Soul, the red blade glinting in the dim light as it arced towards the Clown, but its heavy right arm intercepted the scythe and parried the attack. The Meister tightened her grip on her Weapon as she backed off to evade the counter attack,, then lashed out with a right swipe, scraping the left upper arm of the fiend but barely leaving a mark on the tough skinned opponent. She gritted her teeth and growled inwardly as she tried again, focusing her wavelength with Soul's, but they were not making a dent._

_"We have to resonate, Maka," Soul's voice echoed from the scythe. Maka backed off as the Clown's bladed arm swung close to her face, clipping her loose bangs slightly as she dodged._

_"I know," she replied. "But we can't run the risk off you becoming a Kishin either, Soul." She looked to him. "You need to get that demon back."_

_"Working on it," Soul replied. "Try to hold out on your own; this will take a lot of concentration."_

_"Alright," Maka nodded. "Be careful, Soul."_

_"Come on, Maka," he replied as he started to enter the Black Room. "You know it wouldn't be cool to leave my partner in the middle of a battle."_

_"Yeah, I know," Maka smiled softly as she felt Soul close the door of the Black Room behind him. The Clown cackled, its head turned through almost ninety degrees and its disfigured smile seemed wider than normal. "What are you laughing about?"_

_"It appears the scythe has left his Meister all alone," the Mad Clown cackled. "What a shame."_

_"Soul hasn't abandoned me, Clown," Maka growled, disliking the creature's doubts in her Weapon. "Besides, you should not be concerned with the state of my Weapon."_

_"Oh, but nor should you, foolish girl," the Clown purred, its head turning further with a sickening series of cracks and crunches, turning to 180 from normal. Maka had to will herself not to be sick as the papery, sickly grey skin about the neck stretched thin over the mess of bones and dark veins. "Did you truly not realise that it was he who protected you from my full effect?" Maka's eyes widened as she realised what the creature of Madness meant. "Now it is too late for you. Good night, foolish girl..."_

_An aura of deep black emanated from the Clown, shooting pitch tendrils in all directions and making Maka's vision dark. She screamed as the effect of Madness laced her mind and pulled her in, dominating her Exorcism Wavelength and dragging her in deeper._

_Inside his own mind, Soul was unaware of the goings on above ground, for he was descending the stone stairway into the recesses of his mind. The stone corridor felt cold all around as he walked lower and lower into his own head._

_"Man, this place is creepy," he muttered to himself, pulling his suit closer over himself. "How much farther does this thing go?"_

_No sooner had he asked this did he find himself at the door which opened into the circular room. A small table which had held the box he was trapped in stood in the centre, but the box was gone, replaced by a familiar red-skinned demon in a black suit. The creature turned its head as it laid eyes on Soul._

_"Oh my," it said, clearly amused. "It seems I have a visitor at long last. Something wrong, Evans?"_

* * *

><p><em><em><strong>Death Room, Death City<strong>__

_Lord Death looked to Spirit and Stein, his mask obscured by worry. His Deathscythe and the greatest Meister of Shibusen had both been informed of the information passed on from the front lines, and neither were too happy to hear it._

_"It's moving towards us?" Spirit asked, still in shock. "How is that possible?"_

_"The fortress must have a mechanised system in place within it," Stein replied, taking a drag of his cigarette and letting out a skull-shaped plume. "It would need a phenomenal level of power to run something of that size for as long as it would take to get to here. It can't be using Brew, or the Magic Tools as we did with Death City against Arachnophobia, but it may be using a similar system."_

_"Indeed, it is troubling to imagine what those kids are going through inside the walls of that monstrosity," Lord Death agreed. "I know there is no chance of reaching the Black Fortress before it reaches Death City, and while I have faith in the agents of Spartoi to stop this threat, it does pay off to be prepared for the worst case scenario. I want you to evacuate the City and prepare the Meisters and Weapons to defend the City. The less experienced partners can help defend the civilians in their evacuation._

_"I would like you both to head the defence of the city," Lord Death continued. "You are the greatest duo we currently have to our disposal. However, if it seems that all is lost, fall back. Don't risk yourselves needlessly; if you feel you are fighting for a lost cause, retreat to the fall back point outside Death City. Leave the city to its destruction."_

_"We could never do that, Lord Death!" Spirit protested. "What about you?"_

_"This enemy is coming after me, Deathscythe," Lord Death said levelly. "If it comes down to it, I will give myself up to protect the city."_

_"But-"_

_"We understand, sir," Stein nodded, cutting Spirit off._

_"Stein," Spirit said, surprised._

_"If worse comes to worst, then it may be the only way to escape this, Sempai," Stein said in his normal monotone. "Don't mistake my words for insurrection or blindly following orders; I have no question that this course of action may be our only option if the enemy is truly this powerful."_

_"Excellent," Lord Death nodded. "One last thing, Sempai, Stein; have you heard anything more of our friend?" The Deathscythe and Meister exchanged a quick look._

_"Nothing as of yet," Stein replied. "It is feared that he has gone missing in the attack on Arachnophobia. While it is doubtful that we will find him, I believe we may find out more from the wreckage of the battle site."_

_"Very well," Lord Death nodded. "I will contact Tezca Tlipoca to investigate the site while we deal with this threat. Now, hurry; we have no time to lose." Spirit and Stein nodded and went to leave, but Stein stopped short. "Something wrong, Stein?"_

_"Just one more thing," Stein replied. "It seems that ___she___ is back on the radar." Lord Death's mask shifted to a look of surprise as he peered into the mirror. "I think she may be at the Black Fortress now."_

_"I see," the Shinigami nodded. "It's only a matter of time then..."_

* * *

><p><em><em>Sorry this took so long to write, but exams take the priority at the minute.<em>_

__Anyway, I hope you liked this instalment; I've decided to write the next chapter with Black Star's fight as the main focus. Hopefully that will go down well. I will also link in the smaller sections such as Soul's talk with the Little Demon, so stay tuned.__

__See you guys and girls later when I next update.__

__Oh, and just to clarify; if I write 'Death Scythe', it refers to a Scythe-type Weapon with a Deathscythe designation, whereas 'Deathscythe' only refers to the full powered Weapon and Spirit's nickname.__

__Anyway, bye for now!__


	15. Binding Madness

**Spoilers:**_ after the Anime and sort of from Manga chapter 62/3. You have been warnied._

**Warning(s): **_Possible swearing, mild/medium gore level potential, fluff._

**Pairing(s): **_SoMa, possibly some TsuStar and/or KidxLizxPatty_

**Brief: **_With the Kishin defeated, what new threats will rise up to face the heroes from Shibusen? Will Kid's words of warning when the Kishin was killed come true sooner than they thought? And can the Madness be eliminated completely before it consumes the world?_

**Disclaimer: **_Atsushi Okubo owns Soul Eater, not me._

_**Chapter Fifteen: Binding Madness, What Is Music?**_

_**Catacomb Room**_

_Crona's cries of agony and fear rang through the room, bringing Kai and Medusa out of their conflict briefly. His eyes widened as he saw the pink-haired Meister, the small creature latched to him and seeming to twist to his form._

_"Damn, I got too caught up with her," he cursed. "I lost sight of that damned thing!"_

_"My, it seems you're not a very good friend," Medusa scoffed, a hand resting on her hip as she looked from Kai to Crona. "Still, it does not matter; this would have happened regardless."_

_Kai ignored Medusa's words, hurrying to Crona's side as a purple ripple of energy pulsed over Crona and the Purple-Dyed Clown, the Meister's head lowered so that his eyes were shaded from view. Kai neared Crona and came to a halt._

_"Crona?" he asked cautiously. "Are you okay?"_

_Wordlessly, Crona raised his right arm, a spray of red-black blood spurting from Kai's torso; the Meister's arm was coated in a blade on the back edge, silver black tipped with the crimson blood. The Demon Sword Meister looked up, revealing his transformation; a half crescent sat atop his head, the purple and black striped flesh of the Purple-Dyed Clown forming a hat atop Crona's head, a single white orb with a black cross running over the front, mimicking Ragnorok's eyes. Crona's own eyes looked like this too, but the iris remained a faint lilac. A curved protrusion appeared from Crona's shoulder, matching the lower portion of the Clown linked with Crona, a mouth on the front which turned to a wide, deformed grin, with the purple streaks running down Crona's right arm. The spiked frill emerged from Crona's neck, while the blade on Crona's arm vanished in exchange for a pair of swords, one like Ragnorok, the other shorter and with a serrated edge._

_"Crona?" Kai asked, the wound he had sustained scabbed over as he straightened into a defensive stance._

_"My blood is no longer black," Crona purred in a twisted voice. "Now it is purple. Here, let me show you..." Crona stabbed the sword in his left hand into the ground, cut the palm open and raised his left hand over his head. "Bloody slicer!"_

_As Crona threw down his arm, a trail of purple blood etched into the air, launching an arc through the space towards Kai. The arc shimmered, then split into three, spiralling in the air as they soared forwards. Kai ducked, dodged left, then right, avoiding being cleaved in two, but just barely. Three deep cuts etched into his body from where the fast-moving projectiles had grazed him. Behind the Kishin Weapon, three pillars exploded into rubble and dust as the arcs impacted, purple sanguine splattering the floor as they fell._

_Kai stood up, in a dilemma; he had to stop Medusa and the Clown, but now Crona stood in his way too, and he did not want to hurt the young Meister. He sighed; perhaps he could stop this with as little injury dealt to Crona as he could. He powered down his arm, going to the Dragon Scale Armour mode to protect himself from the augmented attack power Crona now possessed and to limit the damage he could deal to Crona._

_"I'll get this sorted out, Crona," he vowed._

_He ran at Crona, evading the spikes of blood which Crona was launching this way and that, taking the odd hit where he had to. A trail of red energy pulsed up his hand as he lunged._

_"Soul Force!" he shouted out, striking Crona in the Solar Plexus and discharging the soul energy into the Meister. There was a scream and he was flung backwards, the spikes dissipating into a puddle, but Crona was soon on his feet again, lunging and thrusting with his swords. "Damn, I'm almost regretting the tuition I gave you!"_

_Crona did not pay attention, keeping on the attack, but he was attacking in a pattern, and soon Kai had spotted the opening he needed; a quick kick in the stomach saw Crona's attack fall, and Kai jabbed again, aiming this time for the Clown's head. A shrill scream echoed and a flash of purple, then Crona fell to the ground, the Clown in Kai's hand. He turned to Medusa, who looked less than pleased._

_"Still not figured out how to shield it from direct soul impacts, huh?" he said, throwing the Clown aside. The creature sank into the floor. "Now, where were we?"_

_"I was just leaving," Medusa replied, the ground turning black at her feet. "I have what I came for."_

_"What does that mean?" Kai asked as the witch began to sink into the floor. "Hey, wait!"_

_Too late; as he spoke these words, she was gone, and the gateway she used to travel through closed behind her. Kai sighed as he went to Crona's side, trying to figure out what Medusa had meant as she departed._

_**Black Room, Soul's Being**_

_The Little Demon smirked to Soul as the albino Weapon appeared in the room. Soul's crimson eyes glared to the black-suited imp as it stared back with its teeth showing in a warm, at least as warm as the strange being could, grin._

_"Is something the matter, Soul?" the demon asked. "You do not seem pleased to see me. Why is that?"_

_"Maybe it has something to do with your attempt to take over my soul last time we met?" Soul grumbled. The demon laughed lightly._

_"Still don't trust me," he noted. "How disappointing. But, if that is true, why are you here now?"_

_Soul's mouth turned downwards a little further as he swallowed his pride._

_"I need your help," he said. The demon blinked._

_"Well, I did not expect that," the black-suited demon said with a look of genuine shock on his features. "In all the time I have known you, Soul, you have never willingly asked for my help. What is it which makes you now?"_

_"You know already, don't you?" Soul said guardedly. He did not want to give too much information unnecessarily._

_"I am aware of your damaging resonance, yes," the Little Demon nodded. "And I suppose that means you have realised that it was I who held back the worst of the damage from your soul. But I ask you now, what are you willing to do in order to bring me back?"_

_Soul clicked his tongue, irritated; he did not want to be in this position if he could, but now that was out of the question._

_"What do you want, demon?" he asked huffily._

_"What I have always wanted," the Demon replied. "I want the music to play."_

_Soul snorted._

_"Yeah, right; last time I played that piano, you tried to take over my soul," he spat back. "How can I trust anything you say?"_

_"You can trust me because I only want to protect myself," the Demon shrugged. "And if you die because your soul is destroyed, I would die too. Ergo, I have no choice but to help you. So, whether you choose to trust me or not, it does not matter to me."_

_Soul sighed, running a hand through his white locks._

_"You still haven't answered," Soul said, though more calmly. "What do you want in exchange for your help?"_

_"But I did answer," the Demon grinned. He gestured to the Black Piano, a spotlight illuminating the area. "Now, play, Soul. Play the music of your heart, and let the Black Blood flow once more."_

_Soul sighed with a small smile and walked to the piano, lifting the cover from the keys._

_"Well, guess I've got no choice this time," he said, sitting down. "Hope you're ready, Maka."_

_His fingers flexed gently above the keys a moment, as if contemplating the instrument, then Soul began to play. A spark jolted across his mind; his wavelength extended to find Maka's to resonate, but it found nothing but a dense darkness, a thick black mist like tar preventing the resonance._

_"Maka," he said, his hands freezing. "No…" He turned to the Little Demon. "What happened to her? What happened to Maka?!"_

_"Calm down," the Demon replied. "She is engulfed in her own darkness, but it is not too late to save her. It will take great resolve to do so, however. You will have to awaken her, remind her of herself and drag her from her insanity. I will guide you, give you an opening; you will have to do the rest."_

_Soul nodded, understanding, and resumed playing with a new ferocity, concentrating his wavelength into the music. Black-blue sparks of wavelength burst from the keys as he played, the notes laced with uncontrolled energy. The Little Demon smiled widely and began to dance, as if enjoying the music, but there was more control to it than just dancing for pleasure, as if he was influencing the music._

_Soul felt something, more a twitch than a true feeling, but he felt it; Maka's wavelength. It was faint, muffled under a mass of shade, but it was unmistakably hers. He played more quickly, spurred on by this discovery. The wavelength grew stronger and brighter, and soon Soul was certain he had his chance. He raised his head and felt his soul flow into the void between them; it was thick and red, like being underwater but without the inability to breathe. He looked, his spectral form searching for it, for Maka's soul._

_The reaction was faint, but he had it; he floated towards it with intrigue, and found an orange soul with a cutesy face on it and pigtails. He almost laughed; even her soul was typical of Maka. But then he saw closer; the face was not happy or bold, but pained and fearful, and a faint blackness was affecting it, infecting the right side like a poison. He softly cradled the soul, resting his forehead to its._

_"Maka," he said in his delicate baritone as his vision faded to white._

_**Maka's Nightmare**_

The skies were blackened with pitch plumes of smoke, the debris and scorched remains of the town littered the streets as a solitary lithe figure charged through, eyes wide as she desperately searched for someone, anyone at all, just a sign of life. Her heavy boots were scratched and scuffed from her running, her legs burning like the buildings around and her lungs screaming for rest, but there was nothing for her to do but run and search and panic.

She was practically screaming in fear; the terror, the chaos and pandemonium, it was worse than anything before, even the experiences of the Kishin did not compare. Her home, her school, her very _life_, it was all crumbling like a sandcastle in the embrace of the incoming tide.

She skidded to a halt at the basketball courts, a charred and mangled mess of what once was the place she spent many afternoons with her friends, and fell back onto her backside with a thump. Franticly, Maka looked behind her, but she could see no sign of what she had been running from. She turned her gaze to the floor, wondering what had made her slip, and felt her stomach churn uncomfortably at what was there; the flagstones of the street were painted a sickly crimson, and the source was a rather mangled mess of pale flesh and dark hair, eyes wide and lifeless as the lithe figure strewn over the ground. She had slipped on Tsubaki's blood.

She turned her eyes upward to the area above the street, and spotted Black Star, who seemed to have fought longer, but was now in just a bad state as his weapon. Maka whimpered, feeling tears stinging her eyes, but she forced herself to her feet and started running again, hearing the sound behind her once more. She sprinted passed Shibusen, the bodies of many students, teachers and friends strewn over the steps, and no doubt the courtyard, but she was not going that way; her mind was racing, her heart beating a mile a minute, but she was focused on one destination, searching for the one person she needed most.

The stairs to the small flat were the longest flight she had ever had to climb, but when she reached the all too familiar door, she did not hesitate, wrenching the door open wide, hopeful to find him inside, beyond the threshold. Instead, she was met with a rush of searing pain and a scream of agony as a burst of flames shot forth and engulfed her, scorching her body and scalding her left side. She screamed and staggered backward as she felt the skin melt from the left side of her face. Tears fell freely as the pain of the fire and the loss bit into her nerves and burnt to the core of her soul. She felt she was about to die, lost, alone and afraid.

And then it happened; something cool in the scorching heat pressed to her face. The aches and sorrow remained, but the coolness was a comfort in the harsh times, and one she accepted without wondering just what it was. She felt her body calm and the pain dull, yet her tears still fell. She wondered if it was merely the sorrow of… She could not even recall what, only that she had been filled with sorrow previously. The coolness felt nice, filled her with comfort and pleasant thoughts, and washed away her worries and injuries.

She looked up slowly, a muted voice echoing over her senses and drawing her attention. A small smile spread over her features as she saw his face, his unyielding look of concern towards her and the sharp, jagged teeth visible in his slightly parted mouth.

"Soul," she said.

Soul looked in disbelief around the area he was in; it was bright white, barren and empty except for himself.

"What the hell is this?" he wondered aloud. "Hey, Demon, can you hear me?"

"Always, Soul," the Demon responded. "I see you have made it to the girl's soul."

"Yeah," Soul looked around again. "Why is it so… empty, here?"

"This is the inner room of a person who has begun to degrade into madness or fall away from their ideals as a human," the Demon replied. "You will find it is easy to find her like this, but be wary of how you may find her, Soul; you will need to pull her back from how deep she is."

"Right," Soul nodded before walking forward.

As he began his search for Maka, he noticed his clothes had changed; he was wearing the orange top, black jacket and dark jeans from when they had fought the Kishin. He did not question the change, as a scream caught him off guard, and drew him in. He sprinted over to the huddled mass of his Meister, who was clad in a torn Spartoi uniform, and clutching her face on the left side.

He stopped a few feet from her, but she did not see him. He hands slipped back from her face, revealing something sinister; over the left side of her face lay a mask, the same as the Mad Clown's. The mask was broken, but seemed melded to the skin of the Meister perfectly. Concern welled up in him; was he too late?

"Maka…" he said, barely more than a mutter. "What the hell's happening to you?" Maka made no response, or even any reaction at all. Soul swallowed a little to moisten his throat, and stepped forward, now directly before Maka's frail frame. "Maka."

She looked up, revealing her beautiful emerald eyes to him; the right one was still green, albeit reddened and slightly puffy, tears streaming from it, but the left was yellow and smaller, though the same tears poured out of it, trapped beneath the mask.

"Soul," Maka said, her voice small, timid, but still her own. Soul felt relief flow a little as he crouched before her, gently cupping the left side of her face.

"Looks like we're in trouble, Maka," he said, a small smirk on his face. "I'm sorry I left you, Maka. I swear, I won't let that happen again."

"Soul," Maka said weakly. "They're all dead, a-and it's my fault." Sould frowned.

"Who's dead?" he asked, looking around.

"Tsu-Tsubaki, Bl-Black Star, Kid, e-e-everyone!" Maka shivered. Soul gulped, this was bad. "I'm not strong enough, I couldn't save them! They all died!" Soul looked to his right, spotting something on the floor. "It was all my fault that they died! If I was strong like Black Star, I could have helped them!" Soul lifted the object from the floor and swallowed again. "And now no one is left but us, it's just-"

"Sorry, Maka," Soul interrupted. "Soul Chop!"

The heavy hard-back in Soul's hand struck Maka directly on the top of her head. Silence fell, Maka's eyes facing down. When she raised them, she could see something akin to anger in Soul's red irises.

"That's enough crap, Maka!" he barked sternly. "You think this is your fault?! You are not to blame, and the Maka Albarn I know, the Maka Albarn I chose as my Meister, my _partner_, would know that! You think it's your fault for not being there? You can't be everywhere at once, it's not possible! Understand that!

"And you are not weak!" Soul went on. "You are the strongest person I know; tough enough to face a Kishin, brave enough to take on Medusa and Arachne, and strong enough to beat them all blindfolded! You are not weak enough to break like this! You will-"

"Ow…" Maka mumbled, rubbing her head. Soul blinked. "I'm sorry." She looked up and smiled, but more confidently than before. "You're right, Soul. Thank you." She stood unsteadily, her world beginning to repopulate with its usual things. She saw her reflection in the mirror and grimaced. "Oh, that's not good."

"Eh, you've been worse," Soul teased. Maka frowned to him, but it did not last long before she smiled again.

"Mind helping me with this?" she asked, holding her hand out to Soul. The scythe chuckled.

"It wouldn't be cool if I didn't," he replied, taking her hand. A bright blue light blossomed in the world as the visions faded.

_**England Room**_

The Mad Clown looked down upon its opponent, the blonde Meister huddled on the floor in a very difficult to defend position, her weapon on the floor beside her with a blank expression in the eye. It let out a small laugh, raising it's arm in preparation to spear Maka through the heart.

"Foolish Meister," it purred, driving the right arm forth towards its target.

A loud roar and the sound of metal on metal tore through the room, and the Mad Clown backed away, attack parried by the now human Soul, a scythe blade running down his right arm.

"Nobody touches my Meister," he growled as Maka dragged herself to her feet. He transformed back into his Weapon mode, falling into Maka's grasp. "You won't get another chance like that."

"Just because she returned once, does not mean she will be so lucky next time," the Mad Clown sneered, rushing at them.

Maka stayed silent, swinging Soul to intercept the swings of the clawed left arm and the blade-like right, blocking and forcing back on the Clown. It was almost startling how much differently she was moving now, as if her time lost in her madness had sharpened her mind to its patterns. She dodged left, parried right, and seized an opening with a sharp Figure 6 Hunter, cutting the fiend open before backing away to prevent a counter attack with the Black Blood.

"Now, Maka!" Soul said, beginning to play the Black Piano with intense strokes, channelling his soul wavelength to Maka's.

"Right!" Maka nodded, focusing her power into Soul and receiving it again in greater levels. Their resonance increased, turning the air around them electric with static. "Soul Resonance!"

Bright blue engulfed Soul's blade, elongating it into Witch Hunter form. Maka lashed out with the energised weapon, but the Mad Clown dodged back and lunged.

"Pierriat!" it bellowed, right arm extended, but Maka was ready, ducking the attack and slashing Witch Hunter through the spindly upper arm, dropping the blade arm to the floor with a thud. It hissed. "Your Witch Hunter won't defeat me, girl!" It lunged again.

"Wouldn't count on it!" Maka shouted back, the music between herself and Soul resonating louder and clearer. She charged to the Clown as it charged at her. "Now, Soul!"

"You got it!" Soul replied, the music getting faster and more powerful. "This is our melody, Maka. Show this clown our strength!"

"Genie Hunter!" Maka shouted as they neared the Mad Clown. With a sudden jolt, Soul's blade morphed to that of an oversized halberd, blue energy streaming over it. Maka slashed with the Genie Hunter, splitting the Mad Clown in two across the middle. Light streamed from the Clown as the anti-Demon wavelength in the attack dissipated it. "Be gone, Mad Clown; your soul is ours."

"Well played, girl," the clown managed, speaking laboriously. "But you have not stopped the Clowns, do not forget that…"

And with that, the creature faded away to nothing, leaving not even a trace of anything which resembled a soul. Maka breathed a sigh of relief as the madness stopped for now.

"We did it, Soul," she smiled. "We resonated like we used to…" She looked up. "How do you feel?"

"How do I feel?" Soul repeated the question, before smirking. "I feel twice as cool as normal."

Maka giggled, understanding, and stood, hurrying forwards towards the throne room to help Kid. She could not feel the presences around in this maze of stone and iron, but she had hope that he would be alright.

_Well, sorry for the wait, but here is the next chapter of Next Step!_

_I'm aiming to finish this tale in one or two more chapters, get it over with at long last._

_For now, all I have is this, so hope you enjoyed this instalment!_

_Also, yes, the concept of Maka's madness was derived from chapter 42 of the Manga, and a little from episode 21. I make no apologies of this, they just fitted so well with the situation._

_With that said, bye-bye for now!_


	16. Truth of a Battle

**Spoilers:**_ after the Anime and sort of from Manga chapter 62/3. You have been warnied._

**Warning(s): **_Possible swearing, mild/medium gore level potential, fluff._

**Pairing(s): **_SoMa, possibly some TsuStar and/or KidxLizxPatty_

**Brief: **_With the Kishin defeated, what new threats will rise up to face the heroes from Shibusen? Will Kid's words of warning when the Kishin was killed come true sooner than they thought? And can the Madness be eliminated completely before it consumes the world?_

**Disclaimer: **_Atsushi Okubo owns Soul Eater, not me._

* * *

><p><span><strong>Chapter Sixteen: The Truth of a Battle; Why Do You Fight, Black Star?<strong>

_**Ancient Arena**_

Black Star gritted his teeth as another hard hit struck him in the gut, throwing him aside with little difficulty. The Dark Witch's physical moves were surprisingly strong, and seemed to deal more damage to him than he had anticipated, rendering the use of the ninja sword more trying than usual, even with its speed. He backed off, attempting to make use of Tsubaki's Kusarigama form, but the Witch countered with a blast of magic in the form of a purple fireball. It was getting frustrating to keep on top of this situation.

"Oh, my, is this all you have?" Blaze pouted. "So disappointing from the so-called God."

"Don't underestimate me!" Black Star growled. "Tsubaki! Enchanted Sword mode!"

"Right," Tsubaki nodded, her weapon form glowing and shifting from a pair of Kusarigama to a long katana of black metal. Black Star tightened his grip on the sword, black tattoos spiralling up his arm and onto his face. "Be careful, Black Star."

"Now we will show you our power!" Black Star barked to Blaze, black lightning coursing from his resonance with Tsubaki. "Shadow Star!"

Black Star rushed Blaze, a flurry of shadowy tendrils darting out to bind her or strike her, but she was not easy to hit; she conjured a staff of purple flames, striking each shadow and throwing it aside, then raising it into a block for Black Star's attack. The sword struck the flaming barrier and paused for a short time before powering through. Blaze grinned and jumped back as the sword slashed towards her. Landing a short way away, she smiled wider as she saw a cut in her midriff, courtesy of the sword in her opponent's grip.

"Well, that was more impressive," she said enthusiastically. "You'd better have better moves than that though, if you want to defeat me!"

Black Star went to rush her again, but a fiery burst struck him in the leg, tripping him, causing him to roll to right himself. With his rhythm thrown off, he could not finish his attack, instead having to dodge a follow-up attack to prevent himself being burnt alive.

"Ugh, how dull!" Blaze grumbled, ceasing her attack and placing a hand on her hip. "You really are a dull person, Black Star."

"Try this for dull!" Black Star growled, charging again while his opponent's guard was down. Blaze sighed.

"How boring," she huffed with an unimpressed look on her face as she shot another fireball at Black Star, hitting him in the chest. The attack travelled through him and out to the wall, the figure turning black as the flames shot by. Blaze's eyes widened in surprise. "What?"

"Shadow Star!" Black Star shouted from above, black tendrils of darkness leaping up to hold Blaze's limbs. He gripped the sword tightly. "Checkmate Slash!"

The shadows pulled up towards Black Star, hauling the Dark Witch up towards him as he plummeted, the Enchanted Sword swinging in close as they passed. A spray of red slicked the cutting edge and onto the sand below as the sword sliced into Blaze. She let out a slight gurgle, then grinned.

"Release… level two…" she said weakly, before an intense purple light consumed her form, taking on a blazing fireball in the air. Black Star landed and looked upwards.

"What the hell is this?" he wondered, but the answer came as the fire burst, igniting patches of the ground as the witch emerged.

Blaze had a different look to her; the cloak seemed to have been burnt away in her release, and all that remained was her underclothes and boots, but there was now a pair of black gauntlets on her forearms, and her boots had thickened, now looking like steel rather than leather. Her hair had also changed, becoming a long pixie haircut rather than the original style she had. The wound was no longer visible on her torso either.

Blaze's eyes lit up like fire as she descended, her second stage unveiled with a wide grin.

"This is the true form of my power," she said with a menacing tone. "I won't go down easy like this, foolish boy."

"Don't count on it!" Black Star shouted, rushing forwards.

Blaze simply laughed once, then clicked her fingers, conjuring a huge blast of purple fire which swallowed Black Star's form, forcing him back, singed and slightly hurt. He could not believe the change which had come from such a simple change, yet he was seeing the effects before him clearly.

"Black Star!" Tsubaki yelped in shock of the powerful magic attack. "We need to think about this."

"We don't have time to think!" Black Star shouted brashly as he charged again. "inja sword mode!"

The katana shortened to a guardless dagger in the Dark Arm Meister's grip as he ran in. Another fireball hurtled by as he sidestepped and evaded the burning magic. He managed to get close for a moment, unleashing a point-blank Soul Menace in the Witch's gut, causing her to back off and spit blood into the air. She grinned, swatting at him with flames trailing, but the Meister ducked and went for a second shot of his wavelength, but did not see the woman's knee, wreathed in a hot wavelength, as it struck him in the head and threw him to the sandy ground below. Blaze wiped her mouth on her hand and smirked.

"You certainly are an unusual Meister, Black Star," she commended. "But you're far too dull." She raised her hand, a very large fireball forming in her palm, aimed at Black Star as he struggled to get up. "Goodbye, Black Star."

The ball erupted in a plume of fire, roaring forwards and threatening to engulf Black Star. Still dazed from the surprisingly hard hit, he could do little but watch. He faintly heard a voice, but could not make it out; was this his time? Was it time that the god he proclaimed himself to be passed? As the purple fire neared, a yellow light shone as a tall, slender Weapon took her human form, standing to block him from the intense fires, and bringing him to his senses.

"Tsubaki!"

He cried out as the flames licked at his fingertips and the bright purple swallowed them both.

* * *

><p>Black Star looked around at the surreal world, blood as deep as his knee present all around as he looked around at the sunless and moonless sky. Above was only orange-pink, like the faintest glimmer of twilight before the sun parted, while below was the purest crimson he had witnessed. It took a while, but he finally registered that this place was similar to where 'He' had been.<p>

Ripples formed in the blood-stained liquid around him, steady and regular, like someone walking in a puddle. He turned to the source and spotted a humanoid shape advancing on him. The figure took on a very large, very muscular form, a pair of bright yellow eyes looking down at Black Star, red antlers embracing the wide plains of the sky. The figure was white with black tattoo-like markings up his form, but even before processing this, Black Star could tell who it was.

"The Will of Nakatsukasa," he noted aloud. The figure stopped twelve feet away and looked at the blunette young man.

"So, Demonic Black Star," the Will spoke in its usual, deep voice. "Have you come to this place to say your farewells?"

"Farewells?" Black Star repeated. "You cannot abandon me; I still have to possess your strength."

"Then tell me how you shall proceed," the Will replied flatly. "What is it you are fighting for, Black Star?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Black Star boasted. "I am the man who will surpass God. I-"

"Foolish boy," the Will interrupted, making Black Star stop in surprise. "You are not so naïve that you will delude yourself with such dreams." Black Star's eyes narrowed and he looked down. "Surpassing God is a dream for only the naïve, the foolish, and the unjust. And if that is the case, then which of these are you?" Silence, then a snort as the Will turned. "I will give you one last chance to be true, then I will have no more time for you." The Will began to walk back away from Black Star, its thunderous footsteps dulled by the liquid land underfoot. Black Star gritted his teeth, then stood straight and roared his answer to the retreating figure.

"I have to protect her!" His sharp bark echoed in the world, and the Will stopped in its tracks. Black Star's eyes met the ground. "She is the one who is always there for me, who is always at my side when the going is too rough for me, who puts up with me no matter what. I have to protect her! I have to protect Tsubaki!"

He looked up as something softly knelt down. Before him lay the Will, smaller now, about the size of a regular human, knelt down on one knee. It looked up to Black Star.

"That is something a warrior fights for," the Will said in acceptance. "A true warrior understands the true thing to fight for is that which is before him. I shall trust you with my full strength, Black Star; show me your resolve. Show me your will to protect Tsubaki."

A hand extended to the young man. The ninja smiled resolutely, taking the hand, allowing the shadows of the Will to bind onto his body, forming tattoos up his arms, head, torso and legs.

* * *

><p>Blaze smiled as the flames dissipated from her hand, convinced of her victory, despite her disappointment of the lacking battle. Smoke filled the area, masking the sight of the body, but she was positive that the boy could not have survived that attack. She turned to walk away, thinking she might catch another as they went to the Black Knight himself; it seemed no other battles were going on, and the trace of the Meisters and Weapons burnt brightly as ever.<p>

She froze, feeling a presence spark behind her. She turned again and saw him; Black Star was stood there with very few injuries visible. Yes, he was burned and somewhat harmed, but his eyes told her he was not ready to go down yet. Blaze smirked.

"Still standing? I'm surprised!" she commended. "Let's see you survive this!"

She went to throw another fireball, but was amazed to see Black Star was no longer there. He appeared behind her, kicking her in the back and throwing her to the ground. His weapon was nowhere to be seen.

"Shadow Star, fourth form," Black Star murmured, cracking his knuckles. "Branched Darkness. You're going down, Dark Witch Blaze."

"In your dreams!" Blaze grinned, getting enthusiastic over this. She threw a fireball, but a shadow extended to Black Star's hand, forming a Kunai of black metal with a white cloth binding on the handle and white designs up the flat edges. His form became blurred as the purple flames shot through him, then the after-image dispersed. "What?"

"Shadow Star, third form," Black Star's voice could be heard all around as three Black Stars appeared around Blaze in the air. "Severed Shadow!" The after-images vanished for a moment, then appeared as one to strike. Blaze loosed a burst of fire all around her, but still took a deep slice to the back. Black Star smouldered a little as he backed away.

"Tricks like that won't work on me!" Blaze roared, launching a barrage of fiery blasts at Black Star. One shot directly at him. "Now I- huh?"

A disk of black shot out and cut Blaze across the left side, slicing the blast in half in the process. Black Star straightened from his throwing position and grabbed the disk as it passed by, revealing a metal ring with four larger versions of the Kunai blade from before along the outside, looking much like a shuriken.

"Shadow Star, second form," Black Star said, spinning the shuriken on his hand. "Leaf of the Moonlit Night."

_Impossible,_ Blaze grimaced in thought. _He's switching forms so quickly. Why has he changed like this? How can he be beating me?!_

"You insolent brat!" Blaze screamed, her left arm wreathed with a bright purple aura as she lunged at him. "You'll die!"

"Shadow Star, first form," Black Star responded calmly, lunging to meet blaze as Tsubaki took the form of a large sickle-bladed knife with a long black chain extended from the back. "Chain of Blackness."

The two charged at one another, but Black Star could see clearly while Blaze's mind was still clouded with rage. He moved, fluidly dodging her clumsy attack, then tugged on the chain as they passed. The chain bound to her ankle and Blaze was thrown across the room and into the wall. She spat blood down herself, the impact winding her and causing significant damage to her body.

"You're already injured," Black Star said levelly. "Stay down, and I won't have to hurt you more."

"Tch… you brat!" Blaze roared, launching herself at him again. "Don't be so full of yourself!"

There came a sickening slicing sound as, without remorse, Black Star targeted and eliminated the main threat; the left arm of the witch fell to the ground, drained of its power and completely detached. Blaze screamed, a mix of pain and fury flooding her. She gave Black Star a rage-filled, twisted glare.

"Bastard!" she screamed, cauterising the wound before throwing her right hand skyward. "Ignite!"

A great flurry of purple fire erupted from her arm and hand, twisting and solidifying into the form of a purple katana, fire dissipated from it, but the sheer heat of the blade was easy to see. Black Star smiled a little.

"You just don't give up, do you?" he noted.

"Not until my last," Blaze growled back weakly, pointing her sword. "Now, this ends, Black Star!" She leapt forwards, and Black Star mirrored her, holding in his right hand a regular katana which looked like the Enchanted Sword with a regular steel blade. Around his neck wound two shadowy scarves.

"Shadow Star, zeroth form," Black Star announced as they neared. "Masamune!"

The two katana blades struck forcefully, shaking the room and shattering ruins all around. A white flash lit the room and blinded everyone for a moment. When the lit cleared and the dust settled, the two fighters stood on opposite sides of the room. There was a moment or three of silence, then a sharp yelp from Black Star as he slumped down to one knee, sword tip in the ground to support him; a bloody cut tore through his chest and right shoulder where the katana of his opponent had gotten through. He looked over his shoulder to Blaze.

The Dark Witch laughed once.

"Well fought, Black Star," she said as her broken blade crumbled away and her released form evaporated slowly. "You were… more fun, than I had thought…" She fell to her knees, then dispersed in a mass of black ribbons, her soul burning away forever.

Black Star grinned as Tsubaki became human before him. She was singed and a little worse for wear, but she was still caring for him.

"Black Star!" she cried, holding him as he lay down. "Are you alright?"

"Tsubaki," he smiled in return. "I'm fine…" He looked to her and smiled wider. "Thank you, Tsubaki."

"F-for what?" Tsubaki asked, confused. Black Star pulled her down and held her close with one arm in a hug. Tsubaki blushed deeply, but smiled and held him tight.

"For giving me something to fight for," he replied, allowing himself to rest a little.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Throne Room, Black Fortress<strong>_

Maka felt the tremendous force of the Witch's soul disperse, and Black Star's equally incredible soul force easing too. The Meister had felt the shift in Black Star's resonance with Tsubaki quite suddenly, and though not worried for him because of it, she had found it unusual to so abruptly change like this.

"Black Star must have stopped the Witch," Maka noted, running down the corridor, nearing an intersection of the route.

"Knew he'd do it," Soul smiled from within his scythe-form. "Who else is fighting?"

"No one," Maka frowned. "But Kid's soul wavelength doesn't seem as strong as usual, and I can sense a great distortion ahead."

"It must be that Knight," Soul frowned. "Let's move quick, Maka."

"Right," Maka agreed as they passed the intersection. Up ahead, they saw a figure moving down the passage towards the throne room ahead, another body on its back. "Is that Crona?"

"Looks like it," Soul agreed, his eye rolling towards the figure. "Kai must be carrying him."

Kai turned as Maka and Soul caught up to him, offering a small smile.

"Good to see you're in one piece," he said friendlily. "How'd the fight go?"

"One clown cut in two," Soul grinned, appearing in the blade of the scythe.

"Nice work," Kai smiled.

"What happened to Crona?" Maka asked, concern in her voice.

"Medusa," Kai frowned. "She distracted us and set this Purple Clown thing on Crona, tried to brainwash him again."

"Oh no," Maka swallowed. "Is… is he-"

"He's fine," Kai replied. "I stunned the Clown and separated it from him; Medusa's still not fixed the whole direct soul contact weakness, luckily."

"Thank goodness," Maka breathed, a small smile on her face. "We should hurry and help Kid then; he'll-"

Maka stopped as they entered the throne room, eyes wide and mouth agape. In the room, the Black Knight stood there, sword and shield drawn, in the middle of the room, and Kid, Liz and Patty all lay on the floor, unconscious, slumped against the wall. The Knight turned to the newcomers.

"Ah, just in time," the Madness Transponder spoke, his wavelength extending intimidatingly to surround them. "I was just finished with your friends. So, who's next?"

* * *

><p><em>Sorry for the hold up, been snowed under with coursework, so updates have been slow.<em>

_Hopefully people enjoyed this chapter; wasn't sure how to get Black Star to gain access to the full power of the Enchanted Sword at first, but got a brain wave and went on it. Hope that it worked._

_Anyway, I won't guarantee when the next chapter will be out, but we are only two or three chapters at most from the end of this story. I might continue into a series, but we'll see._

_Until then, bye for now!_


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